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Former Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla coach Lopetegui replaces
caretaker manager Steve Davis, who was put in charge of the team
following Bruno Lage's dismissal last month.
Lopetegui had been linked with a move to Wolves last month, but
initially turned down the offer, according to reports in British
media.
Wolves had previously said Davis would remain in charge until
the end of the year. The club lost three of their five matches
under the Englishman.
Lopetegui, 56, will take up the role after the club's league
fixture against Arsenal on Nov. 12. His first match in the
dugout will come in December, following the conclusion of the
Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar.
"Julen is a top coach, with excellent experience at an elite
level of the game, and we are very pleased to have agreed a deal
to bring him to Wolves," Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said in a
statement.
"Since the very beginning, Julen has been our number one choice
to manage Wolves, and we look forward to welcoming him and his
team when they join us in the coming weeks."
Lopetegui, who represented both Barcelona and Real Madrid during
his playing career, began coaching in Spain's youth set-up,
before spells at Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish second division
and Portuguese club Porto.
He was first linked with the top job at Wolves in 2016, but took
over as Spain coach following the retirement of Vicente Del
Bosque.
He was sacked by Spain two days before the 2018 World Cup after
agreeing to become Real Madrid manager after the tournament, and
was then dismissed by the Spanish giants months later following
a woeful start to his spell in charge.
Lopetegui's most successful stint in club management came at
Sevilla, where he spent three years in charge, leading them to
the Europa League title in 2020. He was sacked by the LaLiga
side last month after a poor run of results left them 17th in
the standings.
Wolves, 19th in the Premier League with 10 points from 13 games,
host Brighton & Hove Albion later on Saturday.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra and
Toby Davis)
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