The last coach to win LaLiga Santander for Barcelona was a Spaniard.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde
FRANCESC ADELANTADO
In his three years at Camp Nou, former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde won two LaLiga Santander crowns, one Copa del Rey, and a Supercopa de Espana, but he believes that more was expected of him.
In a rare interview, he didn't shy away from any questions, sharing his opinion of Barcelona as demanding and non-conformist, as well as his need for a break.
"We won two league crowns, which was great, but for some individuals, nothing is good enough," Valverde told Libero magazine.
"I was there for two and a half years, and we finished first in our Champions League group with a game to spare, and we didn't need the last game in three years."
"But these things happen, and that's fine, but me and the group as a whole liked it; another thing is that other people appreciated it, but we appreciated it since it was difficult for us, and now... Well, look."
The club has been in chaos since Valverde's departure, with Quique Setien, Ronald Koeman, and now Xavi leading the charge.
"From afar, I can see everything." "When you leave a town, you flip the page," Valverde remarked, "but when you leave a club like Barcelona, you need more time to decompress."
"I needed time because I had been coaching for a long period."
Valverde could not rule out a far-flung adventure abroad as his next challenge, though he could instead stay in Spain and face Barcelona's younger players.
"Nearly all players have now gone through the youth squads of a major club such as Athletic, Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Osasuna," the former Olympiacos coach observed.
"For example, I come from a neighborhood squad; presently, street players are scarce, but dribblers are in high demand." Players like [Kingsley] Coman of Bayern Munich, [Leroy] Sane of City, and [Riyadh] Mahrez of City are now available.
"[Lionel] Messi, Neymar, [Ousmane] Dembele, they create a difference, they go alone, they'll always be there," says the coach.
Valverde has not managed since leaving Barcelona, though a possibility to Manchester United in 2021 has been suggested.
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