Julen Lopetegui speaks out on his Wolves reunion
Julen Lopetegui says he is looking forward to seeing 'familiar faces' against Wolves tomorrow but would not comment on any potential regrets over his spell at the club.
The Spaniard arrived at Wolves in late 2022 and saved the club from relegation in the 2022/23 season.
Wolves faced financial issues in the summer of 2023 and after a disagreement over transfer funds, Lopetegui resigned and was replaced by Gary O'Neil just four days before the campaign started.
Now manager at West Ham, tomorrow (July 27) Lopetegui will face Wolves at the Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, USA, (kick-off 7pm / 12am UK time), in the first game of the Stateside Cup pre-season tournament.
"I have a big esteem about all the fans and the players," Lopetegui told the Express & Star when asked to reflect on his time at Wolves.
"I am looking forward to saying hello to a lot of familiar faces, but now we are focused on our daily work here at West Ham.
"It will be a demanding match. Wolves have very good players, a very good structure and they work very well at being a compact team. It will be a good test for us."
When asked directly if he has any regrets over how he left Wolves, a coy Lopetegui added: "No, it's time to put the focus on West Ham now.
"I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces and I have very good memories."
The 57-year-old, who took last season off before joining the Hammers, wasted no time in raiding his former club when they signed former Wolves captain Max Kilman in a £40million deal.
"Max is a good signing and a good player for us," Lopetegui said.
"He's very balanced in his skills and maturity. We will try to use him and he's excited to play for us.
"We are very happy to have Max with us."
Lopetegui was in a good mood throughout the press conference and laughed when the Express & Star asked him whether he has interest in signing any other Wolves players.
He said: "You know me and know I am not going to say anything new about any players!
"I can answer you about my players in West Ham right now. They are the more important players for me."
Once Lopetegui departed and several players were sold, Wolves were backed to be relegated by many last season.
But O'Neil masterminded a successful campaign and Lopetegui gave a short, but complimentary, answer when asked about Wolves' performance last season.
He added: "They had a very good season and showed they are a strong team with good players and coach."
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