It didn’t take long for Hwang Hee-chan to make his presence felt.
Wolverhampton fell to Manchester United 0-1 in the first round of the 2023-24 English Premier League (EPL) at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, at 4 a.m. ET on Friday.
It was a game of firsts in more ways than one. A week before kickoff, Wolverhampton parted ways with head coach Julen Lopetegui, who took over midway through last season. “Following agreement with the club, Lopetegui has agreed to part ways with the club after nine months in charge,” Wolverhampton announced on its website on Monday.
“Since taking charge of Wolverhampton in November last year, Lopetegui has guided the club to retention in the English Premier League (EPL), but the manager and the club have recognized and accepted differences of opinion on certain issues and have agreed that termination of the contract is the best solution for both parties. The club will begin the search for his successor.”
Wolverhampton manager Matt Hobbs said: “Lopetegui and his staff set out to ensure Wolverhampton remained in the EPL last season and achieved that goal with the remaining games to play. We were keen to start the new season together, but there were differences of opinion on some key issues. Both parties agreed that it was best to part ways ahead of the new season. After a successful preseason, Lopetegui left the team in great shape for next week’s kickoff. We wish Lopetegui and his squad the best of luck for the future. He will always be welcome at Wolverhampton.”
The main disagreement between Wolverhampton and Hobbs was speculated to be over the transfer market. Wolverhampton made no significant signings in the summer transfer window, other than the free agent signing of former teammate Matt Doherty. Similarly, goalkeeper Tom King from Northampton, who was also a free agent.
Finances. Wolverhampton are currently in financial trouble. Prior to Lopetegui’s departure, the UK’s Daily Mail explained that he had fallen out with the club over a disappointing transfer window due to the pressure of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
This was the first game under a new manager. Lopetegui was replaced by Gary O’Neill, as reported by various media outlets. O’Neill didn’t have much time to color the team tactically, so he had to play straight away. 먹튀검증
Wolverhampton’s performance was compliant. They didn’t let United get the better of them, creating several threatening moments and looking to score. Mateusz Cunha’s darting runs stood out, and the center back line of Craig Dawson and Maximilian Kilman was solid. Nelson Semedo and Layan Aite-Nuri were also outstanding on the flanks.
Wolverhampton made a substitution when things weren’t going well. In the 18th minute of the second half, Pablo Sarabia came off and Hwang Hee-Chan came on. Hwang tried his luck from the left side of the box in the 22nd minute, but his shot was well wide. Hwang Hee-chan