Emotional Julen Lopetegui arrives in the theatre of Real Madrid after his ‘surreal’ exit from Spain and the World Cup

Lopetegui insists he had been transparent about his move to Real Madrid while Florentino Perez has hit out at Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales

If the Spanish pre-game press conference was a circus after the sensational developments of Tuesday and Wednesday, how to describe the similar event taking place thousands of miles away in Madrid? A piece of theatre? A pantomime? It certainly had more emotions.

While Sergio Ramos was so visibly – and, for the Spanish media, so surprisingly – continuously content and excited in Sochi, his former international manager and new club manager wavered between delight and tears back at the Bernabeu.

Because, while Spain were preparing for their opening World Cup fixture against Portugal while also trying to react to questions about a remarkable story Real Madrid had been central to creating, the European champions took the utterly shameless decision to present Julen Lopetegui. That was a mere hour after Ramos’ press conference… and of course a mere 32 hours after his abrupt decision to go to Madrid after the World Cup had got him sacked.

“Yesterday was, after the death of my mother, possibly the saddest day of my life,” Lopetegui began, before pausing and then starting to cry, as the room – reported by Spanish radio to be “lamentably” bolstered by some Madrid supporters – burst into applause. He then summoned the resolve to continue: “But today is the happiest.”

His emotions were likely sincere, but it still so suited that they made for the kind of optics and image massaging that so fits with his new job.

Earlier on in this show, Madrid president Florentino Perez had said: “We have to work to front up to those who want to besmirch our image.”

It wasn’t difficult to guess who “those” might be. And this, for all the entertainment of the theatre, was where the deeper interest to these bizarrely juxtaposed events lay.

Ramos might have wanted to “turn the page” on what had been described by sources as “the tensest 24 hours in Spanish football history”, but Lopetegui had himself described it as “surreal” and it still feels relevant to want to find out what really happened; how it played out… how it came to this.

The big question was really one of betrayal, as well as who knew what and when.

One suggestion had been that the seven Madrid players in the squad – particularly the captain, Ramos – all had advance knowledge of Lopetegui’s appointment. Normally so keen to front up with any setbacks or controversies, Ramos did show more than a brave face to the media, but was also much more evasive than usual on the big issue.

He had been directly asked what he knew, and appeared to start giving a direct answer… only to leave it so enticingly open-ended with comments that were deeply open to interpretation.

“As a captain, you’re more informed about what’s going on in situations like these. Others make decisions. When we talk about institutional decisions, we prefer to stick to the sidelines.”

Fernando Hierro is the temporary Spain manager after Julen Lopetegui was sacked (Getty)

Ramos also said that Lopetegui would have his say, and he did that, protesting he is a loyal person... but not as much as Perez did. He took the opportunity to have a right go back at federation president Luis Rubiales.

“There are no precedents in the history of football for an agreement like this to be treated as a disloyal act,” said Perez. “We came to an agreement in mere hours, and decided to do it before as an act of transparency, and before the World Cup to avoid leaks that could affect our squad.

“What should have been a normal act transformed into a misunderstood issue of pride. We still find it difficult to understand why this agreement would ruin a dressing room as committed as the Spanish team. It hasn’t affected them at all. There isn’t a single argument to justify why Lopetegui is not on the Spanish bench tomorrow.”

Lopetegui meanwhile insisted they had been transparent.

“Loyalty is to tell the truth… I am very relaxed with everything I have done. We have operated in a professional and honest manner. When the players found out the news, we put on the best training session of the whole week. We are convinced we did things in an absolutely honest and clear manner. I would love to change the reaction of Rubiales, but I can’t change that.”

Perez added: “Julen is our new manager, and his dream is an exciting challenge. I want to thank you for your presence and welcome you to your home, to Real Madrid.”

Not just a home, but quite the theatre.