Internet Desk: Spanish Giant FC Barcelona officially confirms the name of their new manager as Ernesto Valverde joins the Catalan side by replacing Luis Enrique’s. The maganer had an impressive stint at Athletic Bilbao but being the new manager of Barcelona will be a challenging one.
Valverde, 53, stepped down from his role in charge of Athletic Bilbao last week having led the Basque club to seventh place in La Liga and Europa League qualification.
He has also managed Villarreal, Valencia and Barça’s city rivals Espanyol in a varied coaching career that included two years in Greece with Olympiakos. Valverde also had a two-year spell as a Barcelona player in the late 1980s and will now return to the Camp Nou after a 27-year absence.
Barcelona lifted the Copa del Rey with a 3-1 win against Alaves in Enrique’s final game in charge on Saturday, the ninth trophy of his three-year reign.
However, the victory came at the end of a campaign which included disappointment in both La Liga and Europe, with the title going to Barça’s bitter rivals Real Madrid, who are also in the Champions League final on Saturday, aiming to retain the European Cup by beating Juventus.
Enrique had announced in March he would be leaving the club at the end of the season to take a one-year break from management.
The Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, said: “Valverde has the ability, the judgment, the knowledge and the experience. He promotes the youth players and he has a Barça way. He is a hard worker and he is a fan of using technology in training and in managing matches.”