New Spain coach Lopetegui urges players to stop dwelling on past glories

Julen Lopetegui, who has recently been appointed as Spain's new head coach, has issued a warning to his team's players saying that they must move on from their past laurels and focus on their upcoming games.

Lopetegui was named Vicente del Bosque's successor, who ended his eight-year spell with the team following their last 16 exit from the Euro 2016.

"Everything we've achieved before no longer matters. Internally, we can be happy with what we did then but we are fully focused on the job we have to do now," the former Porto manager was quoted as saying by Spanish newspaper Marca.

The 49-year-old urged the team's star players to bring the same glory to the current squad as they had brought in Spain's football history.

"Some of them have been the best in Spanish footballing history, winning honours that no one could before them. But they must also understand that they have to live in the present and what they bring to the squad now. We will focus on that," the new Spanish coach added.

Lopetegui, who started his football career as a goalkeeper with Real Madrid and Barcelona, has also played for Spain in the 1994 World Cup before coaching the country's youth squads from 2010-14.