Ernesto Valverde must be the luckiest man on the planet despite a woeful season that has seen him perform as one of the worst Barcelona managers in a decade.
Indeed, Barcelona directors have reportedly decided NOT to sack manager Ernesto Valverde despite their end-of-season collapse.
The Catalan giants won La Liga by a margin of 11 points but were beaten 2-1 by Valencia in Saturday’s Copa del Rey final.
That defeat came just 17 days after Barca blew a 3-0 first-leg lead to lose their Champions League semi-final at Liverpool.
The support of key players, including Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic, proved crucial in the club’s decision.
It was widely claimed that Valverde was on the verge of getting the boot this week, but according to local tabloids in Spain, Barca chiefs have made the call to stick with him after analysing his position.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu publicly defended Valverde in the wake of the weekend loss to Valencia.
‘This defeat isn’t the coach’s fault,’ said Bartomeu.
‘I want to point out the value of someone who is, in a discrete way, helping our team. I’m talking about Ernesto Valverde, who we trust completely.’
Valverde is also said to have retained the backing of key players, such as Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique.
But changes at the Nou Camp are still expected to be plentiful this summer, with Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele among a host of players who have been linked with possible moves away.