After decorating the Real Madrid stage with three UEFA Champions League trophies in a row, Zinedine Zidane bowed out on a high. This left an opening for the Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui to now have an opportunity to lead the team to perhaps another wave of success. The team’s selection period has come during a precarious time when the world’s concentration is on the World Cup, which is now only a few days away.

The most exciting thing about Lopetegui is that it is not the first time he has interacted with Real Madrid. He played for the team when he was 19 years old, and he also became a part of the coaching staff in the 2008/2009 season. From a fan’s point of view, it gives assurance knowing that the team is with someone that has been involved with them before. The coach has signed on to be with Real Madrid for the next three years, which is honestly enough time for any coach to know his players well enough to utilize them at their full potential.

His coaching experience is one that cannot go unnoticed. He has won the Under 19 and 21 European titles in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Hopefully, this is the kind of spirit that he will promote in his tenure at Real Madrid. We welcome him and look forward to the time ahead. Maybe he can emulate Mourinho and bring some African talent to the Spanish capital. It has been a while since Real Madrid had an African within their ranks.