3 possible replacements for Ernesto Valverde at Barcelona

Ernesto Valverde has always come under a lot of fire from Barcelona fans due to his reserved tactics in away games which have cost them important ties both domestically and in Europe in recent years. The away legs at Roma and Liverpool in 2018 and 2019 Champions League semi-finals saw Barcelona squander healthy leads and exit from the competition.

Valverde has delivered well in the La Liga, courtesy the inconsistencies of both Real and Atletico Madrid, which had given him a cushion in the Barcelona hotseat but the cracks in his system have only become more evident with time. The problem increases as the former Athletic Bilbao manager is too stubborn to make changes to his system which makes the star-studded Barcelona squad underperform on many occasions. Last week's defeat to Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the Supercopa de Espana might just have been the nail in the coffin for his tenure as Barcelona as many outlets are reporting that he will be sacked.

In this article, we will take a look at 3 managers who could replace Ernesto Valverde.

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#3 Quique Setien

Quique Setien is known for his exciting brand of football

The 61-year-old Spaniard manager has often in the recent past surfaced in the rumour mill of being a future Barcelona coach. His tactics are reminiscent of the attractive ball-possession, positional play and quick passing brand of football to which Barcelona have been associated since the days of Pep Guardiola as a manager at Camp Nou.

His best stint had been at Real Betis who played some really exciting brand of football during his stay at the club. One of the biggest doubts of him being appointed would be the fact that he's never managed a big club before and managing a dressing room of a club of the stature of Barcelona is no easy job.

Also towards the end of his Betis tenure, his team could not keep up with the bright start they had made which also puts a question mark of whether he can put in a consistent imprint on his team.

#2 Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino has made his name at Spurs

The Argentinian manager has been a former RCD Espanyol player and manager. He has proved his mettle by bringing Tottenham Hotspur out of the mid-table in the Premier League into a consistent top 4 finish. He also took Tottenham to the Champions League finals last season which is an added brownie point on his CV. He had improved the players during his reign at Spurs and was not afraid to youngsters a chance.

He was sacked in November 2019, bringing an end to a stint at the club that lasted for more than 5 years earning loads of praise for the work he had done Tottenham over the years. Barcelona is going through a transitional period and Pochettino can oversee that transition and make them a consistent powerhouse once again. Pochettino's association with Espanyol might draw a lot of flak from both Barcelona and Espanyol supporters should the Argentine be appointed as the replacement of Ernesto Valverde at the club. He's available in the market and his stint at Tottenham proves he's ready for a bigger challenge.

#1 Xavi

Barcelona fans would love to see Xavi back at the club.

The choice that tops the list is Xavi Hernandez. The Barcelona legend has been heavily linked with a return to the Camp Nou following the recent defeat to Atletico Madrid. Xavi is currently managing Al Sadd which is based in Qatar. He took over the managerial post at the club following his retirement out there last summer.

Xavi's appointment as Barcelona manager can prove to be a boon in many ways. He knows the club inside out and has a great bond with Lionel Messi which already puts him a couple of steps ahead of competitors. The Barcelona legend is hugely respected at the club and this will help him keep command of the dressing room as and when needed. He's played under the likes of Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova and Luis Enrique and knows what the fans are expecting out of him on the field.

A known face, he can also deal with the needs and requirements in player personnel as well as deal with the board better when there might be conflicts in decisions.