What you need to know about Barca coach Valverde

Sport360 staff 14:39 30/05/2017
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  • Former Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde has signed a two-year deal to become Barcelona’s new boss.

    The 53-year-old is a former Barcelona player and replaces Luis Enrique at the Nou Camp.

    Here, we looks at five things you should know about the new Barca coach.

    CAMERA STAR

    Valverde is unlikely to be camera-shy at the Nou Camp given he is a keen photographer. During his playing days at Barcelona, he studied photography at the Institut d’Estudis Fotografics de Catalunya.

    In 2012, he released a book of artistic black and white pictures, called Medio Tiempo – Half Time. He also ran an exhibition of his pictures in Greece while he was manager of Olympiacos.

    A VARIED COACHING CAREER

    After retiring in 1997 Valverde’s coaching career has taken him to Espanyol, Olympiacos, Villarreal and Valencia. He won three titles with Olympiacos, where he had two spells, and joined Bilbao in 2013 after leaving Valencia.

    In 2015 he guided Bilbao to a 4-0 Spanish Super Cup win over Barcelona, his only piece of silverware at the club, but lost the Copa del Rey final against Barca in the same year.

    HE PLAYED WITH THE BEST

    Valverde spent two seasons as a player at Barca, winning the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1989 and Copa del Rey in 1990. At the Nou Camp he played with Gary Lineker, Ronald Koeman and Michael Laudrup while a young Pep Guardiola was in the Barcelona youth team.

    The fact he played under Johan Cruyff, who helped shape Barcelona’s identity, which is something that gives him weight coming into the job.

    HE IS A DEFENSIVE MASTER

    Valverde comes with a reputation of organising a defence and tightening any backline he manages. When Olympiacos won the Greek title in 2009, they conceded only 14 league goals while Athletic never conceded more than 45 goals in a LaLiga season after he returned in 2013.

    Athletic conceded 65 goals in the season before Valverde’s comeback and in 2013-14 they shipped just 39 and finished fourth after finishing 12th a year earlier.

    HE HAS ALREADY MANAGED IN BARCELONA

    The one-cap ex- Spain international managed Barcelona’s city rivals Espanyol – who he also played for – between 2006 to 2008. He guided them to the UEFA Cup final in 2007, when they lost on penalties to Sevilla, but finished mid-table in LaLiga in both of his seasons.

    His spell at Barca’s local rivals is unlikely to be held against him.

    Provided by Press Association

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