Barack Obama told me I was right to sack Julen Lopetegui - Spain FA chief

ESPNFC ^ | 7/31/2018 | Adriana Garcia

[neverevergiveup]

Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales said former United States President Barack Obama reassured him he had done the right thing by sacking Julen Lopetegui before the start of the World Cup.

The RFEF dismissed Lopetegui when it discovered he had agreed to coach Real Madrid after the tournament despite being under contract with the national team.

Obama and his family travelled to Spain on holiday earlier this month and spent a few days in Madrid, where he met Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe VI, as well as Rubiales, at a reception.

[neverevergiveup]

For those of you who don't like soccer, this isn't focused on soccer, but on the employer - employee relationship, and contract obligations vs self-determinism in the job market. I have no idea how or why Obama wound up meeting with the Spanish Football Association head, but that's a bit of a different topic.

The gist of this, for those who didn't follow the World Cup is that the manager/coach of the Spanish national team (who had a long-term contract with the Spanish national team) accepted a job managing/coaching a club team (Real Madrid) - to begin after he coached the national team during the World Cup. This became public just prior to the World Cup starting, and he was then fired by the head of the Spanish Football Association - essentially leaving the Spanish National Team without a manager/coach just before the start of the World Cup.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but contracts seem to get broken all the time in sports, and I am interested in people's opinions on employment contracts and obligations vs freedom of movement as an 'employee' in a free market.

[Calvin Locke]

I'd be interested why anyone with the best interests of whatever would admit to being congratulated by BHO on an action.

Personally, I'd keep it to myself, and start doubting the decision to take that action.

[depressed in 06]

Taking advice from a jOke.

[neverevergiveup]

“Personally, I’d keep it to myself, and start doubting the decision to take that action.”

LOL!! You made my day with that comment..

[Lurkinanloomin]

I don’t care at all about men in short pants kicking a ball, but no one should ever listen to the Kenyanesian Usurper about anything.

[Paine in the Neck]

Obama fancies himself some kind of sports savant. In fact, he is more an example of the Dunning-Krueger Effect. In sports as in every other field, he is so ignorant he can’t even perceive how ignorant he is.

[granada]

Spain has now been governed by left wing progressives.

During his first term, Obama built a good friendship with Spanish socialists. You know, Spanish socialist government blatantly intervened in 2004 American election by calling for a regime change.
Bush rejected to answer the congratulation phone call from Spanish PM after he beat John Kerry.

[hanamizu]

Obama fancies himself some kind of sports savant.

---

I think he fancies himself as a savant of everything. Wasn’t there a time/newsweek cover to that effect...”a god of all things”?

[nickedknack]

Barry Soebarkah and Michael Robinson — the Gay Globetrotting Grifters.

[JennysCool]

COLLUSION with the Spaniards!

[EinNYC]

Who in the world would ever ask a complete dork, who cringes at the sight of men engaged in karate and who rides around on a kiddie bike dressed in mom jeans with a dorky bicycle helmet, for advice on a professional contact sport? I think that makes Mr. Rubiales an imbecile, mistaking his Odungo worship for accurately evaluating the Odungo as any kind of authority at all on soccer. Two jerks.

[neverevergiveup]

I don't know much about Rubiales, but would you wrote is pretty much the way I'm thinking about it. Personally, I don't think Rubiales should have sacked Lopetegui just before the World Cup. It would be like the US Olympic Committee sacking the head of the US Men's basketball team, or the hockey team just before the Olympics. It's the pride of the nation at stake, not the ego of those who run the national teams.

Anyway, the issue of contracts is an interesting one for me, as it seems they are becoming increasingly meaningless.