After a poor performance against Levante and continuous failures in the past in Champions League and Copa Del Rey, Valverde’s time as Barcelona’s coach may be running out.
There is a lot of frustration around FC Barcelona after their recent defeat against Levante which brought back the memories from the defeats in the Champions League where fans saw a similar Barcelona who seem lost when conceding goals.
Ernesto Valverde was backed at the beginning of the year by club’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as the players to continue with Barcelona this season (source) but after the Manager failed to fix the same mistakes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Spanish giants look for a replacement.
Here are 8 men the Barca hierarchy could look to if they decide to replace Valverde.
ERIK TEN HAG
Erik Ten Hag does not have any direct ties with Spain but does share similarities with the Barcelona DNA as the two clubs have a long connection with legendary Johan Cruyff. As a result, Ten Hag is also often compared to Guardiola’s playing style which makes him a perfect pick for Barcelona.
Ten Hag has captured the hearts of many Ajax supports as he delivered them their first Eredivisie title in five seasons. The club’s brilliant European run last season, where they defeated the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus, to make it all the way to the Champions League semi-finals is proof of his brilliance.
Imagine the fact that if he is capable of elevating the European underdogs to such glory, what can he achieve by taking over from Valverde at the Camp Nou.
QUIQUE SETIEN
The 60-year-old Spanish manager has managerial experience spanning over twenty years. Setien was appointed by Real Betis in 2017 where he led the club to an impressive sixth-place finish in the first season. His second with the club was not as glorious; his side finished the league at the tenth position. Setien did, however, manage to be the first manager since 2003 to win away at Barcelona and Real Madrid in the same La Liga campaign.
Setien was linked with Barcelona in January 2019, but nothing became of it. Setien, since his departure from Real Betis, has stated his desire to join the Catalans.
XAVI HERNANDEZ
The former club legend retired at the end of last season and was appointed by Qatar side, Al Sadd, as their manager. Fans are thrilled with the idea of Xavi making a sensational return to the Nou camp as their manager, as barely anyone can claim to know the club better. Having played for Barcelona on more than 750 occasions, Xavi knows the Barca DNA more than anyone else but his lack of managerial experience is the biggest threat to his success.
The Maestro has shown his leadership attributes during his midfield days where he played a crucial role. With 24 years at the Blaugrana, having played through the Guardiola Era, there is no one better to understand the rhythm of tiki-taka, and if anyone can restore that Barca style to its pinnacle, it’s Xavi.
LUIS ENRIQUE
Luis Enrique is no stranger to Barcelona, as he managed the senior team for three glorious years in which the club saw the Spaniard lead his team to three Copa Del Rey trophies and two La Liga titles. Enrique won the club their latest victory in the Champions League which was in back in 2015.
The tragic death of his 9-year-old daughter saw him leave the Spain job earlier this year. However, a return to the Nou Camp is possible if the former manager deems so.
EUSEBIO SACRISTAN
Eusebio has spent almost 15 years at Barcelona in many different roles. As a player, he played in the Catalans midfield for seven seasons between 1988 and 1995. He then played an essential part under then-manager Johan Cruyff which saw the club winning many trophies. (Source)
He returned as an assistant manager to Frank Rjijaard between 2003 and 2008, which were five glorious years for Barcelona. After a year with Celta Vigo in 2009, Eusebio returned as the head coach for the Barcelona B team for the next four years before being dismissed in 2015.
Since then Eusebio has had poor spells with Real Sociedad and Girona and is currently on the market.
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
Roberto Martinez impressed many with his attacking style play in international football with Belgium, where he led the national side to a bronze in the 2018 World Cup.
He has previously managed both Wigan and Everton and was recently linked with a move to Real Madrid but he’s still under contract until 2020 which saw the move fail through. Roberto a few years ago would have been a shocking candidate for Barcelona but in recent reports stands among favorites.
RONALD KOEMAN
The hero of Wembley in 1992, Koeman knows the Barca way like no one else, having previously worked with former Barca manager Louis van Gaal. Reports claim that even Messi wants Koeman in Barcelona.
Koeman is currently managing the Dutch national team, where he helped Holland reach the semi-finals of the Nations League which has been their highest achievement. His current contract runs until 2022, recent reports state that there is an existing release clause his current contract with the Dutch national team that allows him to join Barcelona. The clause was revealed by KNVB director Nico-Jan Hoogma in October, as the source states, and that Koeman has this to say
“I can safely say that I would not leave my position as coach [of the Dutch national team] for any club,”
“I found it unfortunate that it was brought to light.”
LAURENT BLANC
The footballing Legend who is also a former Barcelona star is known for his PSG spell where he fell short at winning the Champions League. He has an attacking footballing style where he likes the ball to remain on the ground. He was recently linked with replacing Quique Setien at Real Betis, who is another candidate on this list.
With the current situation at Barcelona, Blanc is a perfect candidate as he can turn a club around very successfully, just like he did with Bordeaux and PSG. In just one year with Bordeaux, he led the team to their first France Ligue 1 title in 10 years. He also managed to secure the French League Cupa and the Trophee des Champions.
With PSG, he secured every domestic honor for the club in two straight seasons while only failing to secure the Champions League for the French giants.
Who do you think will replace Ernesto Valverde at the Nou Camp?
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