Barca confirmed: Valverde remains coach

Spain’s champions FC Barcelona have also officially clarified the coaching question for next season. As in the past two seasons, Ernesto Valverde will be on the Catalan side line.

“We have never debated Valverde’s future at any time. I want to make it clear that he will remain our coach in the coming season,” Barcelona vice-president Jordi Cardoner said at the Cruyff Foundation’s Open Day. The farewell of the Spanish coach has recently been ghostly by the media, Ronald Koeman and Massimiliano Allegri were among others treated as successors.

Despite a convincing season, in which the Catalans played predominantly dominant in all competitions, Barcelona is at the end of the season “only” with a title. The lost Champions League semi-final against FC Liverpool was followed a few weeks later by defeat in the Copa del Rey final against FC Valencia. These two failures inevitably led to a coach discussion.

Valverde moved to Blaugrana in 2017, having previously worked for LaLiga rivals Athletic Bilbao, FC Valencia and FC Villareal. The 57-year-old’s contract runs until 2020, with an option to extend it until 2021.