Barcelona part ways with Ernesto Valverde and appoint Quique Setien
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Barcelona have parted ways with manager Ernesto Valverde and have appointed Quique Setien as their next manager. The La Liga giants have been considering parting ways with Valverde for quite some time now with Xavi, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronaldo Koeman all linked with the managerial role.
The drama surrounding Ernesto Valverde and his future is finally over as Barcelona have parted ways with the Spaniard. They have replaced the 55-year-old with Quique Setien and the former Real Betis boss has taken over effective immediately. Sky Sports has reported that the 61-year-old will sign a two-and-a-half-year deal and will be in charge against Granada on the 20th.
Valverde has endured a tough time over the last year or so and earlier today reports from the Football Espana, Onda Cero and Catalunya Radio all reported that Barcelona informed their former star of the news. The club released a statement thanking Valverde for all that he has done for the Camp Nou side and also added that the agreement to terminate was a contract that mutually helped both parties.
“Barcelona and Ernesto Valverde have reached an agreement to terminate the contract that united both parties. The club publicly expresses its gratitude to Ernesto Valverde for his professionalism, his commitment, his dedication and his always positive treatment towards all that make up the Barca family. We wish him luck and success in the future," revealed the club's statement.
Valverde, who once played for the Camp Nou side, had been under immense pressure over the last few weeks with Xavi Hernandez linked with the job. That was something the Valverde knew of reported the Guardian and when the Hernandez officially revealed that he won’t be leaving Qatari side Al Sadd, the Catalan giants moved on towards other options on their shortlist reported Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague.
That list included former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, Dutch national coach Ronald Koeman and Massimiliano Allegri. However, both Pochettino and Koeman turned down the opportunity, which forced the club to go in another direction appointing Setien. The former Betis boss is a self-confessed admirer of playing football the “Barca way” and won plaudits for doing that while managing to beat Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid last season at Betis.
Agreement between FC Barcelona and Ernesto Valverde to end his contract as manager of the first team. Thank you for everything, Ernesto. Best of luck in the future. pic.twitter.com/zrIgB1sW2e
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 13, 2020
