As the Qatari national team touched down in Los Angeles from Dublin at 2:12 PM on May 30, a wave of applause filled the cabin of the Boeing 777-300ER. This moment marks a significant milestone for the 26 players as they celebrate their first qualification for a World Cup. For coach Julen Lopetegui, this is his third World Cup experience, yet it carries a unique weight; he is ready to take the field himself.
“Football didn’t owe me anything,” Lopetegui expresses in the dining area of the team hotel in Montecito, Santa Barbara. However, he perhaps owes himself this chance. Reflecting on his choice to accept the position in Doha a year earlier, he highlights his primary motivation: this is the World Cup.
Lopetegui’s inaugural World Cup experience dates back 32 years to the United States. His last was in Russia in 2018, where he did not see any playing time. As Spain’s third-choice goalkeeper in 1994, he never expected to step onto the pitch and admits he might not have been ready had he been called upon.
Eight years ago, he entered the tournament as Spain’s head coach, having maintained an unbeaten streak for two years. Yet, just a day before the tournament kicked off, he was dismissed after announcing his commitment to take over Real Madrid after the competition.
Now, he approaches this World Cup with a revived sense of purpose. While getting a match is one hurdle, winning is an entirely different endeavor. Qatar is perceived as the weakest team in the tournament, having encountered preparation challenges due to bombings and limited competitive opportunities. Nevertheless, Lopetegui remains steadfast in his determination to compete.
The crucial match that secured Spain’s qualification back in 1994 occurred against Denmark the previous November. “I was back-up goalkeeper to Zubi [Andoni Zubizarreta], but I suffered a back injury a couple of weeks before,” he reminisces, capturing the essence of coach Javier Clemente’s voice while sharing the story.
“I had two herniated discs. I rang Javi and said: ‘Javi, sorry, I’m not in a fit state to be called up because if I have to play I don’t think I can’. And he says, very Clemente: ‘Bah, don’t be daft. Like an old man’s going to get flu on a Monday.’ I shouldn’t worry; I wasn’t going to be needed. I said: ‘Yes, but if he does get flu I can’t come on.’ ‘Right, I’ll call that Santi kid from Celta’.”
“what had to happen, happened. Clemente called up Santi Cañizares and, although the old man didn’t get flu, Zubi did get sent off, 10 minutes in, the only red in his [international] career. Santi comes on, plays very well, wins the right to be No 2, later No 1. “Although I wasn’t playing well at Logroñés, struggling with the injury, Javi called me up as third-choice as a reward for that gesture. I couldn’t enjoy it much because I was living with a lot of pain, but I did what I could, knowing I wasn’t going to play and supporting everyone, contributing my bit.” he chuckles, “Nuno [Espírito Santo], [Dino] Zoff, [Walter] Zenga, [Ricardo] La Volpe …”
“But if you’re a sub goalkeeper you watch most games from next to the manager.”
Lopetegui is one of three coaches at the World Cup, alongside Hong Myung-bo and Ronald Koeman, who played in the USA 94 tournament. Notably, he is the only one who was a goalkeeper. He finds it difficult to name any goalkeeping coaches.
“there was no point asking Johan how to defend”
He then laughs, adding.
“There’s a photo from the Super Cup final, one of the few games I played, and nine of that starting XI became coaches.”
Not just any manager either: after USA 94, Lopetegui joined Barcelona as a backup and had the unique opportunity to sit on the bench next to Johan Cruyff. He reflects that, even though “It was the saddest day of my life,”
Cruyff instilled a sense of curiosity in his players, Lopetegui explains. “No. There’s no time for that. But you think about it. I’ve lived many wonderful experiences, but, yes, that one too. “I haven’t stopped working since, you don’t look back, and that experience gives you a thicker skin. You learn from them, too. But if you asked me: ‘Would you do the same again?’ One hundred per cent. Why? Because we always took what we thought were the right decisions from a position of deep respect for our responsibilities.”
Additional influences stemmed from a Spanish football culture and coaching framework that prioritizes teamwork, along with the Basque environment that shaped him, Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso, and Andoni Iraola from the same small province. Coming from a family with a lineage of athletic achievements, being the son of a champion stone-lifter, Lopetegui embodies his family’s sporting legacy.
All these elements guided Lopetegui into coaching and ultimately to the prestigious role of leading Spain in a World Cup. However, in a shocking twist, just a day before the tournament began, that opportunity was abruptly taken from him. He was dismissed by the then-embattled Spanish federation president, Luis Rubiales, returning alone to Madrid, leaving behind the team he had nurtured and his aspirations dashed. Without him, Spain struggled. “We came for two main reasons: to take on a huge challenge no one had done [qualifying for the World Cup, Qatar were in automatically as hosts in 2022] and to test ourselves in a very different context,” he recalls.
Now, after tenures with Real Madrid, Sevilla, Wolves, and West Ham, he finds himself back at a World Cup.
His thoughts often wander back to the past, to Russia, and to what might have been. “And, of course, there was that feeling, the hope of being at a World Cup, which we could have had with another national team. “We could have gone out straight away against Iran, the Brazil of [the region], but we won 1-0, which gave us time for Emirates [UAE] and Oman. We had to see what we could do, not what we wanted to do. “You’re used to different players, intensity, qualities. That was an important shock for us when we started. Qatar is a country of 300,000 people; maybe 10,000 play. Against us, the Emirates had maybe one starter who was from the Emirates: the rest were Brazilians, Portuguese, Poles … we beat them. You have to improve quality, but maintain that essence. “The biggest difference we found was in the level of competitiveness, the pace, the games they’re playing. We’re maybe the only national team [here] with lots of players who have only played four, five times this year. Our league has a lot of foreigners so there are 19, 20, 21-year-old players not getting the opportunity. The goalkeepers are all Qatari so often it’s as little as two outfield players.” he replies. “Those games would have been useful, especially to define our gameplans,”
“We had to make do with sessions among ourselves and there were three weeks when players couldn’t train at all because they weren’t allowed to leave home. The physical preparation wasn’t ideal. “It was unpleasant, unlike anything I have ever experienced. You’re waiting on the alerts, hanging on your phone. You get a message saying don’t leave home, another when the risk has dropped. Stay in safe areas, indoors, away from glass. “Most of the bombs fell where the US bases are so you felt more or less safe away from there, but your family is saying: ‘Come back.’ First, you can’t: for 10, 15 days the airspace was shut. Then I didn’t think it was right. “When the airspace opened and my wife went back, I stayed. I had a responsibility to be there. It’s not being a hero or anything; it’s that I felt that was our duty, what I had to do.”
Finally, an opportunity has returned. While it may not be identical, it is still meaningful. “One of the things that most concerned us was finding a message that reflected our reality without losing that excitement. “The first part of the process is emotional, the second is footballing. Find a structure to extenuate our qualities and hide our defects. We need a plan for three games without getting frustrated. “We know that when the ball [at the draw] comes out with Qatar in, the other teams are happy. That shouldn’t annoy us; we should know. They have to beat us. “We have to construct the best competitive scenario. We have to find a balance. We can’t let a player’s head drop – we still have ambition, still have excitement – but nor can we think we’re something we’re not. “All this has been an incredible experience, tremendously constructive, a reset. It’s been a period of personal introspection and that’s been a powerful process: a lesson in humility, in accepting what I can do and what I can’t do. “When you go to a World Cup, you can think: ‘Bloody hell, this is a success.’ And it is a success in capital letters, but you can’t just cling on to that. You can’t think: ‘It’s done.’ No. Not likely. That’s a mistake. So now we have to ‘sharpen’ our ‘lance’ and compete. “Qatar celebrated being here as something unique and it is. But as José Mota[’s famous comedy sketch] goes: We can go, but going just for the sake of going is stupid. We’re going to the World Cup to compete. We’ve earned the right to try.” Lopetegui elucidates. “And certainly, there was that feeling, the hope of being at a World Cup, which we could have had with another national team.”
“We could have faced an early exit against Iran, dubbed the Brazil of the region, but we triumphed 1-0, allowing us to advance against the Emirates [UAE] and Oman. We needed to explore what we could achieve, not just what we wanted to do.”
“Being accustomed to different players, intensities, and qualities was a significant shock for us when we began. Qatar is a nation of 300,000 residents; perhaps 10,000 participate in football. In our matches against the Emirates, there was likely only one local starter: the others were Brazilians, Portuguese, Poles … we overcame them. Improvement is necessary, but we must maintain our essence.”
In March, two scheduled friendlies were canceled due to Iranian bombings in Qatar. “Those matches would have been beneficial, especially for finalizing our strategies,” Lopetegui notes. “We had to rely on sessions among ourselves, and there were three weeks when players couldn’t train at all because of restrictions. The physical preparation was far from optimal.”
“It was an unpleasant experience, unlike anything I’ve ever faced. You’re on high alert, constantly monitoring your phone. You receive messages advising you not to leave your home, then another when the risk subsides. Stay in safe zones, indoors, away from windows.”
“Most of the bombs targeted US bases, so you felt somewhat secure away from those areas, but your family is urging you: ‘Come back.’ Initially, you can’t; for 10 to 15 days, the airspace was closed. Then I didn’t believe it was right to return.”
“Once the airspace reopened and my wife returned, I chose to stay. I felt a duty to be there. It’s not about being heroic; it’s simply what I believed was necessary.”
Throughout this ordeal, Lopetegui had a team to prepare. He maintains that this experience has been unlike anything in his career, enhancing his capabilities as a coach. “One of our primary concerns was crafting a message that encapsulated our reality while not losing that excitement.”
“The first phase of the process is emotional, followed by a focus on football. We must establish a structure that highlights our strengths and conceals our weaknesses. We need a plan for three matches without succumbing to frustration.”
“We understand that when the draw reveals Qatar, the opposing teams will be pleased. That shouldn’t dishearten us; we must acknowledge that they need to defeat us.”
“We must create the optimal competitive environment. Striking a balance is crucial. We cannot allow a player’s morale to dip—we still have ambition, we still have excitement—but we also cannot deceive ourselves about our capabilities.”
“This entire experience has been incredible, immensely constructive, a reset. It has allowed for personal reflection, which has been a powerful process: a lesson in humility, recognizing what I can and cannot do.”
“When you attend a World Cup, you might think: ‘Wow, this is a success.’ And indeed, it is a success in capital letters, but you cannot merely hold on to that. You cannot think: ‘It’s done.’ No. That’s unlikely. It would be a mistake. So now we must ‘sharpen’ our ‘lance’ and compete.”
“Qatar celebrated their presence here as something extraordinary, and it is. But as José Mota’s famous comedy sketch goes: We can go, but going just for the sake of going is foolish. We’re headed to the World Cup to compete. We’ve earned the opportunity to try.”
