Spain has made a coaching change just two days before the start of the World Cup in a move that will be heavily scrutinized over the coming weeks.
Was it a surprise move? Absolutely.
But the history of coaching dismissals in soccer and every other sport is littered with strange timing
Derrick Nnadi Color Rush Jersey , strange decisions and strange circumstances. Now Julen Lopetegui’s case joins them.
Lopetegui was fired as Spain’s national team coach on Wednesday after accepting a job to lead Real Madrid next season . He will be replaced by
Fernando Hierro for the country’s match against Portugal on Friday.
Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales said firing Lopetegui wasn’t ideal, but had to happen after Madrid’s announcement.
”It’s a difficult situation, but we are not the ones who determined the action that had to be taken. The federation has its values and it has to
maintain them
http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-christian-kirk-jersey ,” Rubiales said. ”It may look like a weakness now, but with time this will make us
stronger.”
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Here’s a look at some other high-profile coaches in the United States who have had strange circumstances surround their dismissals:
LANE KIFFIN, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Kiffin’s self-described dream job ended with a spectacular thud in 2013 after he was fired during a 3 a.m. meeting at
the Trojans’ private airport terminal. His dismissal came just hours after the
team lost 62-41 to Arizona State. At the time
Ronald Jones II Color Rush Jersey , USC athletic director Pat Haden said ”It’s never the perfect time to do these things, but I thought it was the right
time.”
WILLIE RANDOLPH, NEW YORK METS: Randolph’s firing in 2008 wasn’t necessarily a huge surprise because his job security had been a constant topic
Calvin Ridley Color Rush Jersey , but the timing was definitely strange. General manager Omar Minaya flew to the West Coast when the Mets were on the
road and fired Randolph in the middle of the night, a few hours after the team
had earned its third win in four games.
DAVID BLATT, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Blatt led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2015 and had the team sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference standings
in 2016 with a 30-11 record when he fired. Wins alone didn’t tell the whole
story – Blatt and star LeBron James had an uneven relationship. Cleveland
elevated Tyronn Lue to head coach and the Cavaliers won the championship later
that year.
HUGH FREEZE
Josh Sitton Color Rush Jersey , MISSISSIPPI REBELS: Freeze led Mississippi to a 39-25 record and a Sugar Bowl victory over five seasons. He
looked like he was going to survive a lengthy NCAA investigation into the
program, but was fired just before preseason practice in 2017 when school
officials found a ”pattern of personal misconduct” that started with an
investigation into a one-minute call to an escort service.
JOE GIRARDI, FLORIDA MARLINS: Girardi led the Marlins to a 78-84 record during the 2006 season which was quite an accomplishment considering the
franchise had a $15 million payroll which was the lowest in baseball that
season. His firing wasn’t necessarily about things that happened on the field:
Girardi and team owner Jeffrey Loria clashed after Girardi asked Loria to stop
yelling at umpires from his seat behind home plate. Girardi would eventually be
hired by the Yankees and lead them to a World Series title in 2009.
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