Few expected Hierro to be anything more than a stop-gap appointee.
Fernando Hierro, who was placed in charge of the team after Julen Lopetegui was sacked on the eve of the 2018 World Cup, will step down as Spain’s coach. He won’t return to his prior role of sporting director, either. According to the Spanish Football Federation, Hierro has decided to “undertake new professional challenges.”
Courtesy: DNA India
Lopetegui was sacked after he was named Real Madrid boss. Hierro then took over, but his 2010 World Champions had an up-and-down tournament.
Even though Spain topped Group B, they conceded a late equalizer against Portugal and trailed Morocco 1-0 and 2-1 before scraping a draw in injury time. Then, the Spaniards were knocked out by host Russia in the last 16.
After their surprise exit to Russia, Hierro said he accepted responsibility for the team’s failure to advance any further. “We all tried to give it our best but that’s football,” he said.
“I don’t think you can talk about the team breaking down or collapsing,” he continued. “There’s a fine line between winning and losing.”
