Latest Wolves news from BirminghamLive as former boss Julen Lopetegui talks about his reasons for leaving the club over the summer

Julen Lopetegui and his staff were “crying” when he left Wolves this summer, the Spaniard has revealed.

Lopetegui parted ways with Wolves on August 8, just three days before the start of the Premier League season. He was duly replaced by Gary O’Neil, who was thrown straight into the deep end without a pre-season to work with his players.

After a brief break, Lopetegui is now ready to get back to work and has opened up for the first time about how he felt when leaving Wolves, and the reasons behind his departure. It was an emotional exit for the former goalkeeper, who looks back fondly on his time in Wolverhampton overall.

“It was not easy for me,” Lopetegui told The Athletic. “It was a pity. I remember a lot of workers, and us too, we were crying. The environment and the commitment that we have created at Wolves in a short time is not normal. And I remember this with a big, heavy heart. This was special.”

Talking about the end of his time at the club, he said: “Something changed. And once things changed, more than I could have thought, it was then a case of deciding what to do.”

Lopetegui said that what happened is a question “for the club, not for me. They have their reasons and I respect all of their reasons. They decide what they want, but they can decide this and I can decide my future and my life.”

After a brief hiatus, Lopetegui is back at work and has spoken up for the first time about how he felt leaving Wolves and the reasons for his departure. It was an emotional exit for the former goalkeeper, who has good memories of his time in Wolverhampton.

“It was not easy for me,” Lopetegui told The Athletic. “It was a pity. I remember a lot of workers, and us too, we were crying. The environment and the commitment that we have created at Wolves in a short time is not normal. And I remember this with a big, heavy heart. This was special.”