Barcelona Backed the former coach
Former Barcelona winger Carles Rexach has stood by Ernesto Valverde and against the board’s apparent decision to part ways with the Spanish coach.
The 73-year-old maintained that if there is someone to be blamed at the Blaugrana, it’s the players and not the former Athletic Club tactician.
“I hope that Ernesto Valverde is not dismissed,” Rexach told Radio MARCA.
“Coaches make decisions but the fault lies always with the players.
“Valverde does not deserve that.
“He is a good person and a good professional.
“He has won two league titles, a double and his only [failures were the defeats] at Anfield and in Rome.
“Valverde will be the most benefited from all this.
“The feeling is that Barcelona are wrong and it is not like that.”
Quique Setien is the front-runner to succeed Valverde as Barcelona boss and Rexach praised the coach’s football style.
“[Setien] is a good coach, with a decent football approach that [people] like,” Rexach continued.
“At [Real] Betis he started very well, but it’s true that later he was whistled at.
“To control those ups and downs you have to have a lot of personality as a coach.”
Xavi Hernandez was also candidate to succeed Valverde, but the current Al-Sadd coach turned down Barcelona‘s offer.
“[Xavi] has everything to become a great coach, but in the end it all depends on the players,” Rexach noted.
“He can’t perform miracles.”
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