Sources: Lopetegui on brink at West Ham, manager with 11 trophies in seven years keen to replace him
The Spaniard is under massive pressure...
Former FC Porto coach Sergio Conceicao is keen on the West Ham United job with the Premier League strugglers lining up potential successors to Julen Lopetegui after Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at Leicester City.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
If West Ham’s 2-0 away win at Newcastle United was supposed to be a turning point – not only in the Hammers’ season but in Julen Lopetegui’s tenure – then the following two matches provided an immediate return to rock bottom
West Ham had conceded five times by half-time at home to Arsenal. And, while fortune clearly wasn’t on Lopetegui’s side at the King Power Stadium, yet another defensive capitulation surely leaves the former Real Madrid and Spain boss closer than ever to the brink.
TBR understands that David Sullivan would rather not fire Lopetegui. But with the results still extremely poor – West Ham are now only two points above 15th place Leicester – the chairman may soon feel he has no choice if the threat of relegation continues to grow.
Roger Schmidt, recently of Benfica, has been discussed internally. As has Edin Terzic, the man who guided Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last season and a one-time assistant to Slaven Bilic in the capital.
But TBR can confirm that Sergio Conceicao is popular amongst West Ham’s top brass.
What’s more, the chance to turn around a talented but massively underperforming Hammers team is one understood to appeal to a man who picked up no fewer than 11 trophies in seven years as the head honcho of Portuguese powerhouses FC Porto.
Sergio Conceicao keen on West Ham United job as pressure rises on Julen Lopetegui
Conceicao, capped 56 times by Portugal in his playing days and a Serie A champion with Lazio under the late, great Sven Goran Eriksson, has been out of work since bringing the curtain down on his uber-successful Porto spell over the summer.
The 50-year-old now appears ready to return to management, however.
Conceicao has been linked with the Everton job – Sean Dyche is under pressure following Sunday’s 4-0 hammering at Manchester United – while a return to FC Nantes has been mentioned too.
Conceicao took Nantes to seventh place during his one and only season in France’s Ligue 1 back in 2016/17.
The West Ham project is one that appeals to the three-time Primeira Liga Manager of the Year, however.
French publication L’Equipe reported the same earlier on Tuesday, backing up suggestions that Conceicao would be tempted by a switch to East London.
Fabio Capello is a huge fan of ex-Porto manager Conceicao
“As a coach, he has done very, very well at Porto, demonstrating great tactical and attacking attention,” former England, AC Milan and Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello told Gazzetta dello Sport of Conceicao.
“His teams are solid and balanced. We saw it in the Champions League. When the Italian [teams] met Porto, they often suffered.
“But there is another thing I like about Conceicao. He’s a coach capable of working with both important players and prospective [young] players. He brings out the best in everyone.
“He is used to building and doing it with a winning mentality. He made this with the philosophy of Porto, where historically value is created by winning.”
West Ham face fellow strugglers Wolves next time out, on Monday December 9th.
Such a fixture is one The Hammers will be eyeing as a route back into winning ways, though it remains to be seen if Lopetegui is still in situ by the time Gary O’Neil’s team make the trip.
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