Ernesto Valverde was on vacation and his cell phone was off when the offices of Camp Nou began to burn. An important sector of the board of directors, at their own risk, believed - and also spread - that there would be no other solution than to fire the coach once they confirmed that the coach was not going to resign. The second consecutive disaster in the Champions League - the fire of the Olympic of Rome had its continuity in Anfield -, together with the defeat in the Cup final against Valencia, ventured the end of the escape. But this Barcelona is a presidential club, where executives fulfill orders in exchange for a generous salary, and managers assume, silence or resign . So Bartomeu, who had risked renovating Valverde three months before the disaster in Liverpool, decided to save his coach on Tuesday, May 28.

Perhaps there is no better lightning rod for the plenipotentiary president of Barcelona than Valverde. A contradiction before the delusions of greatness of Bartomeu in his effort to transcend while looking for credits and financial formulas that cover the last blows of his government work. Whether paying the clause of Griezmann, a footballer that the Barca coach demanded to balance the low rigor in the pressure, either opposing the return of Neymar, the galactic piece with which Bartomeu dreams to reissue his best moment in the box , the Champions League Berlin that allowed him the electoral victory.

Valverde does not marry all that, but he is a club man. Also discreet and little given to football folklore. Cement for a spine that adds years protected under the protection of its coach. And also suspicious for a tier as demanding as nostalgic. A fan who receives in a vein dose of crucifixion in soffits, advertising slogans and varied propaganda -even the inauguration of a walk of fame of La Masia is planned-, but it is difficult to intuit features of that stage in a pragmatic team and more aware of the demands of this time. That is, first survive, then win. It is not a time for romanticism, let alone in a Barcelona that has long since stopped celebrating the Leagues - eight of the last 11 are his - and whose happiness is measured from his career on the red carpet of the Champions League.

«If they compare me with George Clooney or the best Barça in history ... What will he do?». Valverde loves to use irony in his parliaments, despite the fact that they tend to include a high claim: “In two years we have lost four games in the League. And in half of them we were already champions. We will have done things well ».

Look for Valverde, in any case, his third consecutive League title in the championship that starts this Friday night in San Mamés. And there will be no possible alibi, demanded and scrutinized the coach while desperately waiting for Bartomeu to decide what to do with the squad . “It is not normal for us to start the season and the market continues to move. When you really breathe it is when it closes, ”complained the coach, who has no idea what will happen to two players who consider capitals - Semedo and Rakitic -, and who awaits the outcome of the tejemanejes with Neymar, with Coutinho and I wandered expectantly before so much chatter and lantern.

For now, Valverde is faced with the great responsibility of empowering the center of the field. For this he has the hiring of Frenkie de Jong, dazzling in his preseason , especially in his match against Naples in Ann Arbor, and he should become the ideal ally for Sergio Busquets to travel where he used to.

Although the first setback comes precisely at the premiere. Leo Messi could not even exercise this Thursday with the group, so the offensive weight will fall on Griezmann, Luis Suárez and Dembélé . The former Atlético striker, beyond the mate, has been involved in pampering the Uruguayan in the field. While the French extreme, accustomed to chiaroscuro, should begin to agree with Bartomeu when he, in one of his populist exercises, released that of "Dembélé is better than Neymar."

Football is like that.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Neymar
  • Ousmane Dembélé
  • Sergio Busquets
  • Valencia
  • Luis Suarez
  • Champions League
  • Leo Messi
  • Jong Frenkie
  • Ernesto Valverde
  • Coutinho
  • Barcelona
  • sports
  • FC Barcelona

SoccerGriezmann already beats Barcelona

SoccerMessi repeats his promise and Luis Suarez finishes Arsenal in the discount

LaLiga SantanderMessi does not reach San Mamés