Former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde may have won two LaLiga Santander titles, one Copa del Rey and a Supercopa de Espana in his three years at Camp Nou, but feels that people expected more from him.
Speaking in a rare interview, he didn’t avoid any questions, revealing his view on Barcelona as demanding and non-conformist, and explaining his need for a break.
“We won two league titles and it was good, but nothing is good enough for some people,” Valverde told Libero magazine.
“I was there two and a half years in the three years first in our Champions League group and with a game to spare, in three years we didn’t need the last game.
“But these things when they happen, that’s good, but me and the group in general appreciated it, another thing is other people, but we appreciated it because it was difficult for us and now… Well, look.”
Since Valverde‘s departure, the club has gone into turmoil under Quique Setien, Ronald Koeman and now Xavi.
“I see it all from a distance. Once you leave a place, you turn the page, but to leave a club like Barcelona, you need more time to decompress,” Valverde reflected.
“I had been coaching for a long time, I needed time.”
Valverde did not rule out an exotic adventure abroad as his next challenge, though he could still stay in Spain and come up against Barcelona‘s latest generation.
“Now almost all players have been through the youth teams of an important team like Athletic, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Osasuna,” the former Olympiacos coach analysed.
“Me for example, I came from my neighbourhood team, now footballers on the streets aren’t around, but dribblers are in demand. Now there are players like [Kingsley] Coman at Bayern, [Leroy] Sane, like [Riyadh] Mahrez at City.
“[Lionel] Messi, Neymar, [Ousmane] Dembele, they make a difference, they go alone, they will always be around.”
Valverde has not returned to management since he left Barcelona, though he was linked with a move to Manchester United in 2021.
