Former Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui admits his sacking surprised him.

As the season draws to a close, he has looked back on his time in charge and his past with Spain.

"We had a very good start and played some brilliant games, but then we had three weeks with a lot of bad luck in front of goal in games where we were superior," he remembers, speaking to 'The Coaches' Voice' YouTube channel.

"These things can happen to every team...

"We understood that we still had time for everything and we had something very important, the absolute commitment of the players and a group with a lot to give."