Jeff Shi’s flight back to the Midlands will have felt an exceptionally lonely one.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers chairman made the journey to Spain, namely San Sebastian, with the desire and intent of returning to England with a new manager. Wolves had put all of their eggs in the Julen Lopetegui basket following the sacking of Bruno Lage.
The Spaniard has been admired by the club’s hierarchy ever since Fosun completed their takeover back in 2016. On that occasion, Lopetegui was all set to join and replace Kenny Jackett, only for a late offer from the national team to scupper the Black Country club's hopes. This time around, his hesitancy stemmed from wanting to spend time with his family, including, most notably, his father, Jose, in his 90s and in poor health.
