Real Madrid new coach Julen Lopetegui said he his happy with his current squad and also said he doesn’t regret taking up the job as a coach of such a great side, taking up Real Madrid job cost him his job with the Spanish National team, after he was sacked few days after the announcement.
Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui said how he has no regrets about taking up the job ahead of the World Cup which led to him being sacked from his role with the Spain team, and that he would do the same again.
Spain went into the World Cup lurching from Lopetegui's dismissal as coach just days before after it was felt by the federation that he was no longer acceptable for him to continue.
"Simply I took a decision and I would take it again, I did it honestly and I have no regrets," he said.
"Madrid has grown (in recent years), it was always special and now with the new trophies it is even more so, they are the best of the 21st century.
"For me now the responsibility has always been to manage a group in order for them to win, the day to day now is different from being Spain coach. It is unknown for most coaches what it is like to be in charge of Spain but the day to day is demanding, different."
He denied having any hang-ups when he hears about the Spain team now.
"Not at all, I am very happy to train Madrid, we have a great challenge, a fantastic objective and I have a lot of hope that it goes great for the national team with Luis Enrique," he continued.
"I am a fervent supporter of Spain, now it is period for me in the past and now we are focused on our objective which is a big challenge. We are all focused on what we have to do now and the past is in the past.
"The way it happened cannot be changed. I don't want to look backwards, I explained at my presentation what I felt and I feel the same now. I am not uncomfortable about what was said and I am just concentrating on the present. I explained the situation, we did the right thing, I mean with that Madrid and I would do it again."
Lopetegui did not want to reveal how the negotiations took place.
"I don't want to go back and explain again what happened each day, how it was...that page is now closed, we explained what we did, everyone does what they think is right," he stated.
"I explained the situation, it is big responsibility at Madrid and I am totally happy. I am very grateful to those that helped me with the national team, the players, the staff and I see it that way.
"We cannot control what was said, what we did was understand what had to happen, when I say that I am talking from the perspective of Madrid and we did it in the most honest and responsible way.
"Everything went very quickly, the players did what they had to do and concentrate on the World Cup. I do not want to talk about it, it is between the players and me. I repeat that we did it because we were convinced it was for the best if I was not going to say no to Madrid. I wanted to say yes to Madrid and that is what I did."
Lopetegui didn't want to go into the details of what it was like to say goodbye to members of the Spain squad.
"Like with all goodbyes, I said goodbye to everyone, it was emotional, unexpected, you have to deal with these things, it is what I had to do. You have feelings, people have the right to hear but there are personal feelings which you have the right to keep private. It is not nice but it makes your skin tougher and is part of life."
Lopetegui went on to explain what his first impressions were of Real Madrid.
"I got to see the sports facilities after the presentation. We started on August 15th with the players who weren't at the World Cup and the loan players, it was a fairly usual situation of a preseason with some players available and some not," he said.
"When you start the first that you try to do is explain your way of doing things, how you see football and how you can adapt it to the players. The players arrived gradually, there were some players that knew me and that was an advantage.
"Whatever you want to implent takes time, during training session and during matches themselves. We tried to do it smoothly with each player so that they understood."
He admitted that he did not speak to Cristiano Ronaldo before he left.
"I did not speak to him, it was a situation where he had already decided to leave and the club went along with this for a player who had been tremendous. They allowed this desire and restlessness that he had.
"I expressed from the start (the players I wanted). I thought the squad was fantastic, the players are very good in all areas of the pitch and capable to compete for titles."
Over the battle between Courtois and Navas he said that both will have their chances.
"I spoke with them both obviously, they are private conversations," he said.
"I have not said that one will play in the league and the other in the Champions League, we will see. Both can play during the season."
So far Vinicius has played for the youth team following his 45 million euro move and Lopetegui believes that it is best to go step by step with him.
"We saw him with the Castilla," he said.
"He is a young talent and the club signed him very wisely. We wil do what we have to do, he will achieve the expectations of him but slowly but surely he is doing very well at the moment.
"He has the quality but he needs to adapt to the demands of Madrid and European football. He is doing this because he is intelligent, we have not had the right moment to play him yet but that will come. I don't know if it will be in the Champions League, right now he is with Real Madrid and he has the same chances as everyone."
Asked about Real's start to the season he felt it was a case of so far so good.
"We have done okay but it is only the start and we have three weeks ahead with the Champions League," he explained.
"We have achieved the aim of nine points and now we need to reflect. The players need to come back fit and we will see what happens.
"Out target is everything this season. With the league you have to always be on form and it rewards consistency but we want to win everything."

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