Valverde Barca training threatens Spain - FC Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde, in the midst of turmoil and targeted by sacking rumors, showed up as expected when training resumed on Monday and led the session as normal, sources said. of the club.
After a nightmarish week, Ernesto Valverde (55) arrived three hours before the start of Barça training (scheduled for 10:00 GMT) in the facilities of the sports city Joan Gamper, the club's training center, which he left by car around 1:00 p.m. GMT, the Spanish sports press reported.
According to the Catalan sports newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, the leaders of Barça have already met on the night of Sunday to Monday to discuss their future, and Valverde met with President Josep Maria Bartomeu for almost an hour Monday, just before the meeting ordinary of the FC Barcelona board of directors ("Junta directiva"), scheduled at 2:00 p.m. GMT at Camp Nou.
Valverde Barca training threatens Spain
Previously, the technician led the training of Barça, the first after the three days of rest granted to the players on their return from Saudi Arabia, where the club blaugrana was eliminated in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup by Atlético Madrid (3-2).
Shaken by disappointments in the Champions League (Roma in 2018, Liverpool in 2019), criticized by supporters for the lack of brilliance of his game, dropped by his leaders, who went to meet the ex-Catalan legend Xavi in Doha ( Qatar) to offer him his job, Valverde has seen his situation weaken in recent days.
Xavi (39), current coach of the Qatari club Al Sadd, refused to train his heart club for the time being, but the Barcelona leaders would have continued to probe several technicians to replace Valverde, according to the Spanish press.
In the event of Valverde's dismissal, Barça could entrust (at least temporarily) the charge of the first team to the reserve coach, Javier Garcia Pimienta. But the names of the Argentinian Mauricio Pocchetino (47), sacked from Tottenham in November, the Dutch coach Ronald Koeman (56), or the Spanish Quique Setien (61) are already circulating as contenders for the position.
In addition to the failure in the Supercup and the delays in the future of its coach, Barça suffered another blow on Sunday: the Catalan club lost its star striker Luis Suarez for four months after a right knee operation.
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