Other candidates included Joaquin Loew, but he is also at the World Cup wit Germany, while Arsene Wenger, currently without employment, is clearly no longer of interest to Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Guti Hernandez, the former Real Madrid and Spain midfielder, who currently coaches the club's Junior team, had recently taken up pole position to replace Zidane, but his lack of experience was clearly a factor, despite rumors that he would get the job.

In the end it is Lopetegui at the cost of just 2 million euros that Madrid have to pay to the RFEF, who will take over the Bernabeu hotseat and perhaps club President, Florentino Perez is congratulating himself on surprising everyone pulling off what he must view as a coup.

But at what price has the signing come? In under 72 hours Spain kick off their World Cup campaign: a campaign where they are one of the favorites to lift the title. What effect must the news have had on the players - all of whom expected to have Lopetegui as their boss for the next two years?

There is a chance it won't affect them. They all want to win and football is about money these days, but it is hard to think Real Madrid's announcement will have improved the atmosphere in the Spain squad or strengthened the feeling of unity or given the players the confidence their coach is as focused on the tournament as they are, when he has clearly spent the last week in contract negotiations to move elsewhere.

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