West Ham United coach Julen Lopetegui has expressed his hope that midfielder Mohammed Kudus will learn from his recent red card incident against Tottenham Hotspur. Kudus, the Ghanaian international, was sent off in the final moments of the match last weekend after opening the scoring, only for the Hammers to eventually fall to a 4-1 defeat.
In a pre-game press conference ahead of West Ham’s upcoming fixture against Manchester United, Lopetegui shared his disappointment over Kudus’ dismissal, emphasizing the importance of restraint and focus on the pitch. The coach, formerly with Real Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers, addressed the need for the 24-year-old Kudus to manage frustration constructively, highlighting this incident as a valuable learning opportunity.
“He [Mohammed Kudus] is young, but he’s not happy, and we’re not happy either. Mistakes happen, but I hope this will be the last time we deal with such an incident,” Lopetegui remarked. “He needs to understand that channeling frustration should come through running harder and staying focused on the game. It’s unfortunate, but I believe he will learn from this and grow,” he added.
The incident took place following a confrontation between Kudus and Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven. After a challenge, van de Ven made a provocative gesture, pointing to his head while exchanging words with Kudus, who reacted by poking the Dutch defender in the face. In the heat of the moment, Kudus then made a similar gesture toward Pape Sarr, resulting in an escalation. Initially shown a yellow card, the situation was reviewed by video assistance, leading to an upgraded red card for Kudus—a decision that marked his first red card since 2019.
Lopetegui confirmed that he had spoken to Kudus about the incident, underlining the importance of self-control in high-pressure situations. “I talked with him, and I’m confident he’ll handle situations like this better in the future,” the coach noted. His message was clear: in the intense moments of competition, composure is crucial to sustaining performance and avoiding costly mistakes.
Kudus’ actions on the pitch reflect his competitive spirit, yet Lopetegui is determined to help the young player channel that energy more effectively moving forward. While the incident may be disappointing, both the player and coach hope it will serve as a turning point in Kudus’ development, with Lopetegui reiterating his confidence in Kudus’ ability to grow from the experience and bring even more to West Ham’s future matches.
As the team prepares to face Manchester United, Lopetegui and the Hammers are eager to move past the Tottenham match and focus on the challenges ahead, looking to Kudus to play an important role, grounded in experience and growth from this recent setback.
