MADRID: Most Real Madrid fans have lost their patience with Julen Lopetegui, but the coach still has his players behind him.
Lopetegui is under fire with Madrid on a five-game winless streak that included its longest scoring drought ever. Fans loudly jeered the team and coach after Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Levante and, although Lopetegui is only a few months into the job, many already want him out.
“That would be crazy,” midfielder Francisco Isco Alarcon said Monday, a day before Madrid hosts Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League. “We have to let him do his job. It’s been only two months. In the end, we should be the ones being let go, we are the ones playing. This is on everyone, not only the coach. I’m fully confident that together we can still have a great season.”
Captain Sergio Ramos had already come out in support of Lopetegui after the loss to Levante, the team’s third straight in all competitions.
“Changing coaches is never good,” Ramos said. “Julen has the support of the players and we all have to overcome this together. Obviously this is a very bad streak for Madrid and that can’t happen, but we are still very much alive in the league, there’s not a huge difference in points to the teams at the top.”
Madrid is seventh in the Spanish league with 14 points, four fewer than leader Barcelona after nine matches. In the Champions League, the three-time defending champion is third in Group G with three points, tied with Roma and one point behind leader CSKA Moscow, which beat Madrid 1-0 in the last game. Viktoria Plzen has only one point after two matches.
“I’m not thinking past tomorrow’s match,” Lopetegui said. “If you are looking for a dejected coach, don’t coming look here. This club will always keep fighting.”
Even if Madrid gets past Viktoria Plzen, Lopetegui will still have to survive the “clasico” at Barcelona next Sunday. It will be the biggest test since his controversial arrival after being fired from Spain’s national team just before the World Cup for not telling federation officials about his deal to coach Madrid.
“I’m not paying attention to what is being said about me, I’m focused on my team and on analyzing our opponents,” Lopetegui said. “If you ask me about the future, I can’t answer you. What I can confirm is that tomorrow I’ll be the coach. We can still reverse this situation, which we know is not an ideal one.”
Marcelo’s goal against Levante was Madrid’s first in 481 minutes, a negative milestone that comes in the first season without Cristiano Ronaldo in nearly a decade. Madrid had already lost 3-0 at Sevilla and 1-0 at Alaves, and its only point in the last five matches came in a 0-0 home draw against Atletico Madrid in the city derby.
“Hopefully it’s all in the past and tomorrow will mark a turning point so we can regain the confidence to change this dynamic,” Isco said.
Real Madrid players behind Julen Lopetegui after calls for change
Real Madrid players behind Julen Lopetegui after calls for change
- Fans loudly jeered the team and coach after Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Levante and, although Lopetegui is only a few months into the job, many already want him out
- Captain Sergio Ramos had already come out in support of Lopetegui after the loss to Levante, the team’s third straight in all competitions
Australia get over the line in Sydney for 4-1 Ashes triumph
- Steve Smith: We know the importance of every Test match with the World Test Championship, so to get the result here and finish the series on a high was incredibly pleasing
- It was 15 years and a day since England won the final Test of the 2010-11 series at the same ground by an innings and 83 runs — the last time they won an Ashes series Down Under
SBYDNEY: Australia had a few nervous moments but safely chased down their 160-run victory target before tea on the final day of the fifth Ashes Test on Thursday for a five-wicket victory and a 4-1 series triumph.
Seamer Josh Tongue led England's battling rearguard with 3-42 but Alex Carey got Australia across the line with a four through the covers in mid afternoon in the company of Cameron Green.
"It's nice to finish on a high note," said stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith.
"We know the importance of every Test match with the World Test Championship, so to get the result here and finish the series on a high was incredibly pleasing."
England will take credit for making a game of it and not being ground into the Sydney dirt as previous tourists have in end-of-series dead rubbers at the famous old ground.
Without the bowling of injured captain Ben Stokes, however, defending 160 was always going to be an uphill challenge on a good wicket which allowed the second day-five action of the series.
Australia's openers managed to get the target under 100 runs before Man of the Match Travis Head, whose third century of the series underpinned his team's first-innings 567, ballooned a shot to midwicket off Tongue for 29.
Jake Weatherald followed for 34, again caught off Tongue's bowling, to bring up lunch with Australia 89 runs from their goal.
It was 15 years and a day since England won the final Test of the 2010-11 series at the same ground by an innings and 83 runs — the last time they won an Ashes series Down Under.
Khawaja made his debut in that match and got his chance for one final innings before retirement when Smith was bowled through the gate by the spin of Will Jacks for 12 soon after lunch.
The England players formed a cordon to welcome Khawaja to the crease but Tongue's bowling was less friendly and the lefthander played on for six after facing seven balls.
"I was trying to act cool, but the whole test match I found it really hard to control my emotions," the 39-year-old admitted.
Labuschagne had been dropped on 20 off Tongue when Bethell failed to hold onto the ball despite an acrobatic leap at backward point.
He was unable to make the most of his reprieve, however, running himself out for 37 with 39 runs still required for victory.
Carey, who made 16 not out, and Green, who finished unbeaten on 22, nearly reprised Labuschagne's exit with a classic mix-up after an overthrow but eventually made their ground to secure the victory.
"It was a great game to be involved in with the test match going to the fifth day and have a bit of drama in the end," said Stokes, who exhorted his players from the slips on Thursday.
"It's a tough one to take knowing that we can play better than that. But I've got to give full credit to (Australia). They've been just incredible for five test matches."
England had resumed on 302-8 but Mitchell Starc struck a major blow to their hopes of setting Australia a testing target when he had Bethell caught behind for 154.
Bethell's superb maiden Test century offered plenty of promise for the future and was essentially the difference between an innings defeat for England and Australia batting again.
Starc (3-72) returned to remove Tongue for six to end the innings on 342, the left-arm quick later awarded Player of the Series honours for his tally of 31 wickets over the five Tests.
"The body is still holding together and this is a great group to be a part of," the 35-year-old said. "I am a little tired but got the job done."
