La-league leader FC Barcelona has parted ways with coach Ernesto Valverde. This was officially announced by the Catalans on Monday evening. Surprisingly, the decision is no longer coming. With Quique Setien, the successor has already been determined and he signs a contract until 2022.
Barça had made a false start into the new year. A 2-2 draw with Espanyol at the bottom was followed by a 3-2 draw in the Supercopa semi-final against Atletico Madrid. The matches once again proved the Catalans’ weakness on the road, with the league’s record on foreign soil more than capable of improvement (4/3/3).
Barcelona, however, are still leaders of La Liga and are in the last 16 of the Champions League (against SSC Naples). But the relationship of trust between coach and club was put to the test after the negotiations between sports director Eric Abidal and former player Xavi over a possible successor to Valverde became public knowledge. A situation that ultimately made a separation inevitable.
Valverde, whose contract would have expired in the summer, had taken over the Blue Grana from Luis Enrique in the summer of 2017 and directly won the double of the championship and cup. Barça also finished the past season as Spanish champion. But the two crushing away defeats in the Champions League at AS Rome 2017/18 (3-0 after a 4-1 home win in the quarter-finals) and FC Liverpool 2018/19 (4-0 after a 3-0 home win in the semi-finals) will also be remembered, both of which sealed the end of the top flight.
Setien takes over as coach until 2022 – with a ‘no-clause’ clause.
The Catalans also provided a replacement for Valverde on Monday evening: The experienced Setien will coach the Catalans from now on. The 61-year-old had taken over as Real Betis coach in the summer of 2017 and led the Sevilla team to sixth place. In the following season things didn’t go quite so smoothly – tenth place. Setien then left Betis by mutual agreement last summer and has not had a coaching job since. Now he will join the La Liga leader and sign a contract until June 2022. According to information from the “Sport”, exit clauses are said to have been included in the contract, allowing both sides to part ways after a season.
Thus, it is still possible that Xavi will take over the team in summer. The Spaniard had rejected a current offer from his heart club. There had been speculation, however, as to whether the club icon would then take over at Barça in the summer.
