Who is the new Barcelona coach? Convenient coach for Messi. Who is Barcelona's new coach Valverde Will Valverde change his tactics?
Barcelona chose the least discussed option. The fans were looking forward to the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa's student, the players expressed support for Luis Enrique's assistant - Juan Carlos Unsue - with flattering comments, but the choice was made in favor of the third, who quietly coached his club. Lucho's place was taken by the Basque Ernesto Valverde, who is hardly known outside of Spain. But this is not for long.
And in vain the audience does not rejoice. Enrique's notes are good, but what new can his assistant offer? Sampaoli's fanatical predilection for attacking play is much more significant, but what's worse than Enrique's schemes, which has repeatedly shown the flexibility of attacking with different schemes? They also revealed the main problem of Barça, which must be cauterized as soon as possible. Well, there would be more attack options at Sampaoli, what's next? The problems are not in the game with the ball, but in the game without it.
Athletic Valverde are formidable with pressure. Especially for Barça. Under Luis Enrique, the club stumbled infrequently, but is unlikely to want to remember the Super Bowl with the Basques. Opponent pressed on pain point Catalans tired after Sevilla. Valverde took advantage of the opponent's mediocrity in defense and, after the selection, developed combinations through the center, where four Basques played against three Catalans. This season, the coach spoke about the game with the Catalans: “We are trying to play with Barcelona through high pressure, not for the first time, this The best way resist them."
Pressing is chasing the blue garnets this year, and Sergio Busquets has nightmares about how the opponent first intercepts his pass, and then bursts behind him. Opornik runs forward and backward, but can't escape. A test drive of the new schemes did not show even a hint of improvement. What to do? It is wise to ask this question the best coach La Liga without the ball. But his style cannot be called purely defensive either. On the contrary, the Basque preaches flexibility, is able to adapt to the opponent. This is how Barcelona should be.
During his career, Valverde has traveled the path that, ideally, he should have traveled. new club. Even when he was a player, the Basque became an adherent of the philosophy of Johan Cruyff, even though he played with him for some two seasons and left due to injuries. In the early years coaching career he was sure that his team should have a unique style. His idol wrote the 1974 Netherlands national team and Barcelona into history as legendary teams precisely for their unique style, and not for titles.
Something similar (but not on such a scale) Valverde tried to do in Espanyol. “In order to continue to score points properly, it is necessary to act in this manner: to firmly impose your game on the opponent from the first minute of the match,” the Basque said about the style of his team. He did not want to somehow adapt to the opponent, he fanatically bent his line, which gave the result: the UEFA Cup final and the defeat of Sevilla in the penalty shootout. The commitment to his style has attracted the eternal Greek champion Olympiacos, who needs to create the game himself, and not start from the opponent.
But the trick with Villarreal did not work, which, under Valverde, attacked a lot and controlled the ball, but missed in the very first counterattack. As a result, the coach was fired during the season, and the club finished seventh. “Ernesto did his best. He worked day and night, but we didn't play full force. It’s not that we didn’t have a desire, but something didn’t work out all the time, ”said defender Joan Capdevila. Something - a high line of defense and not using the opponent's weaknesses.
But in Valencia, the crash text was passed: a worthy elimination from the Champions League against PSG Carlo Ancelotti, the return of stability at a distance and a place in European competition (fifth). Valverde openly emphasized the team's instability against counterattacks and looked for solutions. According to the interview, it was noticeable that he made every effort to improve the defense. And in his native Athletic, he began to give tactical information. It turns out that with the 4-2-3-1 scheme it is convenient to take the balls away and immediately return them to the attacking group, the defense with “squares” (four people around one, and not three, as is most often the case) does not allow the victim to use the technique.
Especially full of tactical notes comments after the matches with ... "Barcelona". “The first half turned out great, and in the second we paid the price for our own high pressure,” Ernesto said about the defeat with blue garnet (1:3). And he looks at the game not in Spanish coldly, he can analyze not only the victory of his club, but also the defeat. And he also builds the game somehow not in Spanish, does not rest on his style as at the start, but proceeds from the weaknesses of the opponent. Something that Barcelona sorely lacks, as well as the ability to adapt to the opponent. Luckily, it all got them new coach.
Sky Sports pundit Guillem Balague highlights Valverde's ability to solve defensive problems. In the last season with Marcelo Bielsa at the helm, Athletic conceded 65 goals, but in the next season with a returning fellow countryman - 39, and in the table the team rose from 12th place to fourth. It seems that Sergio Busquets began to recover a little from this fact.
With all these qualities, Valverde has not ceased to be a romantic, his teams always score a lot, although they began to attack less. How can he even be a pragmatist if his hobby is photography?
Football club "Barcelona", which everyone simply calls "Barcelona", can be safely called the personification of both Spanish and world football. No wonder he was included in the four top clubs last century according to the prestigious FIFA rating.
However, history remains history, and the current affairs of the club are not so smooth. This became evident after the matches of the Spanish Super Cup in 2017, where Barcelona were crushed to smithereens by Real Madrid, both in the first and second meetings. The year 2009 is already far behind when Barcelona won all possible cups and trophies, both European and world, which was a completely unique achievement. Will the former glory return?
Therefore, the question of what will be the composition of FC Barcelona on new season 2017-2018 is very important and is of interest to most fans.
The composition of Barcelona for 2017-2018 has lost one of its main stars - Neymar. For a record 222 million euros, the Brazilian moved to the French PSG, where he will take on leadership functions in attack. Despite the significant loss, the Catalans received a huge amount of money, and if they spend it wisely, they will become even stronger. And this is far from the only high-profile lineup change.
| Player | note | Number | Position | Year of birth |
| Marc-Andre ter Stegen | 1 | Goalkeeper | 1992 | |
| Jasper Cillessen | 13 | Goalkeeper | 1989 | |
| Adrian Ortola | Goalkeeper | 1993 | ||
| Nelson Semedo | 2 | Defender | 1993 | |
| Gerard Piqué | 3 | Defender | 1987 | |
| Javier Mascherano | Team Vice Captain | 14 | Defender | 1984 |
| Jordi Alba | 18 | Defender | 1989 | |
| Luca Digne | 19 | Defender | 1993 | |
| Ales Vidal | 22 | Defender | 1989 | |
| Samuel Umtiti | 23 | Defender | 1993 | |
| Thomas Vermaelen | 25 | Defender | 1985 | |
| Ivan Rakitic | 4 | Midfielder | 1988 | |
| Sergio Busquets | Team Vice Captain | 5 | Midfielder | 1988 |
| Denis Suarez | 6 | Midfielder | 1994 | |
| Arda Turan | 7 | Midfielder | 1987 | |
| Andres Iniesta | Team captain | 8 | Midfielder | 1984 |
| Rafinha | 12 | Midfielder | 1993 | |
| Paulinho | 15 | Midfielder | 1988 | |
| Sergi Roberto | 20 | Midfielder | 1992 | |
| Andre Gomes | 21 | Midfielder | 1993 | |
| Carles Aleña | 30 | Midfielder | 1998 | |
| Luis Suarez | 9 | Attack | 1987 | |
| Lionel Messi | Team Vice Captain | 10 | Attack | 1987 |
| Ousmane Dembele | 11 | Attack | 1997 | |
| Gerard Deulofeu | 16 | Attack | 1994 | |
| Paco Alcacer | 17 | Attack | 1993 |
What transfers took place in the 2017 off-season
| Player | Position | What club did you come from | What club did you go to | |
| + | Marlon | Defender | Barcelona B | |
| + | Gerard Deulofeu | Midfielder | Everton | |
| + | Sergi Samper | Midfielder | Granada | |
| + | Paulinho | Midfielder | Guangzhou Evergrande | |
| + | Christian Tello | Attack | Fiorentina | |
| + | Munir | Attack | Valencia | |
| + | Ousmane Dembele | Attack | Borussia Dortmund) | |
| — | Jeremy Mathieu | Defender | Sporting | |
| — | Marlon | Defender | Nice | |
| — | Christian Tello | Attack | Real Betis | |
| — | Neymar | Attack | Paris Saint Germain |
Change of head coach
It is incorrect to describe the composition of the FC for the 2017-2018 season without mentioning the change of the helmsman. Since June, the team has been led by Ernesto Valverde, who replaced Luis Enrique. The new specialist will have to solve a number of tasks:
- improve defensive play;
- establish cooperation in the attack;
- win the favor of fans, etc.
Obviously, whoever is bought to replace Neymar (the left flank of the attack), he still needs to join the team and find understanding with Messi and Suarez. In addition, Messi's influence on the leadership of Barcelona is too great, so if the Argentine has a conflict with Valverde, then the coach will not stay at the club for a long time.
Messi or fly in the ointment
Since the beginning of September 2017, those Barça fans who have the right to vote (socios) began collecting signatures for a vote of no confidence in the current leadership. According to the rule, 1600 votes (or 15%) will be enough for a presidential re-election to be called.
Why is Messi here? Firstly, his contract expires in 2018, which has not yet been renewed, and, secondly, he expresses open dissatisfaction with the current position of the club. Bartomeu can use this non-renewed contract like a hook to save his positions. But, on the other hand, since January 1, 2018, Messi can conduct any negotiations without notifying the club management about them. Given the interest in the star from Manchester, the situation for Barcelona could end badly.
Goalkeeper line
The last frontier of the Catalans this season is entrusted to defend:
- Marc-Andre ter Stegen;
- Jasper Cillessen.
The place of the main goalkeeper undoubtedly belongs to Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The goalkeeper fits perfectly into the Barcelona game concept with total ball control and constant pressure on the opponent. Great kicking, brilliant vision of the field, amazing reaction - this is far from full list positive playing qualities of a football player.
Jasper Cillissen can only hope for an injury or disqualification of the main goalkeeper. Also, he is likely to be entrusted with playing in the Spanish Cup or matches of no importance. If necessary, the coach has the option of adding a third goalkeeper from Barcelona-B, which is the farm club of the main team and plays in the Segunda (the second strongest football division in Spain).
line of defense
Barcelona's defense last season looked unconvincing, resulting in the title best team countries got In the current draw, the following players will defend the approaches to the goal:
- Gerard Piqué;
- Javier Mascherano;
- Jordi Alba;
- Luca Digne;
- Sergi Roberto;
- Alesh Vidal;
- Samuel Umtiti;
- Thomas Vermaelen;
- Douglas Pereira;
- Marlon Santos;
- Nelson Samedu.
Ernesto Valverde's choice in the defensive line is varied. The team has both experienced players and talented youth who are ready to replace veterans in matches against less strong opponents. Proper rotation will help Barcelona to concede fewer goals, but for this, the coach should choose the right combinations of players and explain their task on the field.
Who will play in the center?
The composition of FC Barcelona for 2017-2018 in the middle line has not changed. It is entrusted to bring "shells" to Messi and stop the attacks of rivals:
- Ivan Rakitic;
- Sergio Busquetsu;
- Denis Suarez;
- Andres Iniesta;
- Rafinier;
- André Gomes;
- Sergi Samper.
Football experts advise Barcelona to strengthen the midfield line with several signings. In particular, the team will not interfere with the playmaker, whose role now belongs to Andres Iniesta. Due to his age (33 years old), Andres' productivity is gradually declining, while the team's dependence on filigree passes and penetrating passes of this midfielder is too high. Destined to replace Iniesta in the near future, the skill level of Denis Suárez is not as high yet, which is why Barca need another world-famous playmaker.
Who will play offensively?
Catalan fans can forget about the famous attacking triangle MSN (Messi-Suarez-Neymar). With the departure of the Brazilian, the left flank of the attack was orphaned, but the bosses of Barcelona are actively looking for a worthy replacement dear footballer planets. So far, the list of strikers for 2017-2018 includes:
- Arda Turan;
- Luis Suarez;
- Lionel Messi;
- Paco Alcacer;
- Munir El Haddadi;
- Gerard Deulofeu.
On this moment known about the interest of the Catalans in Philip Cautinho () and Moussa Dembele (Borussia Dortmund). If it is not possible to acquire these players before the end of the transfer window, then in a 4-3-3 formation, Paco Alcacer will take the place on the left edge of the attack. However, the player is still too young and simply will not be able to cope with the psychological pressure in important matches. Gerard Deulofeu, bought from Everton in the off-season, will come on as a substitute, while Arda Turan is more suited to the role of centre-forward. It turns out that the Catalans urgently need to acquire a left striker, or completely rebuild the game in attack.
Thus, the composition of Barcelona for the 2017-2018 season has become weaker with the departure of Neymar, but the team still has time to rectify the situation by finding a worthy replacement for the Brazilian. Fans of the "blue garnet" can only hope for the coaching talent of Ernesto Valverde, the current clip of players and new transfers.
Read more about Barcelona transfers for 2017-2018 in the following video:
The 53-year-old Basque appeared on all lists of the main contenders for the post of head coach of Barcelona in 2017. And it was on the former striker and nicknamed the Ant that the leaders of the Catalan club chose. There is little doubt that Valverde will be introduced as the new head coach of the Blue Garnet on Monday. In favor of Valverde - a huge experience in Spanish championship at the head of Athletic, Espanyol, and. As one of the best Spanish coaches, Valverde is full of desire to prove himself on a fundamentally new level - at the head of a top club and with players of a completely different level of skill that the Basque coach had at his disposal in his previous teams.
The Argentine coach was initially considered the main favorite for the post of head coach of Barcelona. Jorge Sampaoli has previously had an excellent record in Spain, where South American football is closely followed and could not help but be impressed by the success of Sampaoli co. The manager's excellent work at the head until the end of the winter - just at the time when Enrique's departure from Barcelona became finally clear - made the Sampaoli option one of the most attractive for fans and leaders of the Catalan club. Moreover, the specialist could perfectly suit Barcelona in terms of playing style. However, in the end, only and will work with Sampaoli. The coach received an offer that is impossible to refuse - from the national team of his native country and therefore left Europe.
When choosing a head coach in Barcelona, it is customary to give preference to former football players of the team, if possible, especially respected among the fans. Both Enrique and Enrique had such a status. The logical continuation of this course would be the appointment of Ronald Koeman - a true legend of Barcelona. Head coach only a couple of months ago he lost the title in the number of free-kick goals scored in a Barcelona shirt, and the most important kick of Koeman's career brought Barcelona victory in its first Champions League final - in 1993 at Wembley against . Many Barcelona fans would be happy to have the Dutchman back in Catalonia.
Barcelona's second coach of the past three seasons was not initially named as a top contender, but in March-April his chances began to skyrocket, as noted in the Catalan press. Former goalkeeper and right hand Enrique even started playing in public - he began to talk for a long time with Messi and other team leaders a few minutes before the start of the matches already in front of television cameras, began to behave more actively at public events and gradually approached such a high status that he had as an assistant to Guardiola.
Unsue could well have taken over the post of head coach if Barcelona ended the season triumphantly. It is believed that Unsue's previously high chances collapsed due to two facts - the team's defeat from Juve in the Champions League 0:3, as well as a quarrel with, which made Barcelona leaders worried. They need a coach who will not clash with the stars.
On Wednesday, March 1, it officially became known what they had been talking about in the last month. Luis Enrique leaves Barcelona. In the summer, his contract ends, and the mentor will not renew the agreement. Portal "Euro-Football.Ru" wondering who will take his place.
Jorge Sampaoli
Current club:"Seville".
The main contender, according to bookmakers, for the post of the new head coach of Barcelona considers Jorge Sampaoli. An Argentinean who has long achieved recognition in South America, this year successfully conquers Europe. In the summer, he took Sevilla and so far shows an excellent result. After 24 rounds, the Andalusians are third in the Spanish Championship by a margin. Moreover, their backlog from the leader of “Barcelona” is less than the advantage over the fourth “Real Sociedad”. Sevilla are playing brightly, which has already attracted the attention of several clubs.
A plus in favor of Sampaoli may be his nationality. It's no secret that Barcelona listen to the opinion of the prima team of Lionel Messi. The forward is on good terms with Sampaoli. Considering that Messi has not yet renewed his contract with Barcelona, the club may well satisfy his wishes regarding the coach.
“Seville” is not eager to let Sampaoli go, but it will be difficult to keep the coach if the Catalans want to. Moreover, club president Jose Casto said that the release clause under the Argentinean's contract is only 1.5 million euros.
Ernesto Valverde
Current club:"Athletic".
Erneste Valverde's name has long been in the news about a possible new Barcelona or Real Madrid manager. The 53-year-old specialist has put together a nice team in Bilbao that fights for high places in Spain. In Catalonia, they remember very well how in the match for the Spanish Super Cup “Athletic” smashed “Barcelona” 4:0.
Valverde is ripe for a more interesting project, yet in the “Athletics” due to the inability to sign players of non-Basque origin, the resource is extremely limited. Moreover, the coach is not a stranger to Barcelona. As a player, Valverde spent two seasons in Catalonia. According to the bookmakers, he is second in the list of favorites for the post of Barcelona coach.
Arsene Wenger
Current club: Arsenal (England).
Arsene Wenger is named third on the list of contenders for the post of Barcelona manager. In the summer, the Frenchman ends his contract with Arsenal, and now there is more and more talk that the Londoners will not renew the agreement with the French coach. If Wenger enters the market of free coaches, he will certainly receive a number of offers.
How realistic is Wenger's arrival at Barcelona? Of course, in last years the Frenchman lost a little charisma and authority. However, it is foolish to say that Wenger has ceased to be a first class coach. His "Arsenal" continues to consistently get into the Champions League and go to the playoffs of the tournament, although the squad is often inferior to competitors. With Barcelona players, Wenger will definitely be able to take a swing at his main dream - winning the Champions League.
Ronald Koeman
Current club: Everton (England).
Although the name of Ronald Koeman appeared in connection with the news of the change of Luis Enrique, unlike Wenger, the bookmakers consider the Dutchman only fourth on the list for the post of Barcelona coach. Perhaps the reason for this is Koeman himself, who recently noted several times that he is not yet thinking about a possible change of the club. The Dutchman calls the Everton project important and expresses a desire to continue working in it.
Koeman is also not the first time matchmaking in Barcelona. Most likely, these rumors can be explained, first of all, by the past of the Dutchman in the camp of the Catalans. Koeman not only played for Barcelona, but was the star of the team and brought her the first European Cup in history. And yet, while Koeman as a coach does not look absolutely ready to work in the camp of the Catalans.
Laurent Blanc
Current club: out of employment
Another former football player"Barcelona" in the list of possible team coaches. Laurent Blanc spent one season in Catalonia - 1996/97, and is now out of work. Given his status, it would be strange not to consider Blanc's candidacy. The Frenchman also had success with the modest Bordeaux, and then showed class with Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Blanc's appointment is hard to believe. Stylistically, he does not suit the Catalans, yet he relied on defense. His main plus is the absence of a contract with anyone, so they will return to his candidacy, unless they manage to agree with someone else.
Mauricio Pochettino
Current club: Tottenham (England)
Mauricio Pochettino "Barcelona" just exactly would fit. He relies on the attack, likes to mess with the youth. And his native language is Spanish, which would be a big plus. If Barcelona were the kind of club that likes to talk people into joining, they should be on the hunt for the Argentine. However, the blaugrana is a superclub. The leadership will not persuade anyone to move to Barcelona.
Pochettino himself does not want to leave Tottenham. Everything works out for him in England, he loves the local championship, he managed to build a nice team that may in the near future aim at serious business. The club's management has stopped selling leaders, so Tottenham won't get weaker. Pochettino wants to succeed in London, so the bookmakers do not have much faith in his move to Barcelona.
Thomas Tuchel
Current club: Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Had it been last season, Thomas Tuchel's chances of moving to Barcelona would have been better. The current season at Borussia is not going well, so it's hard to believe that the German specialist can now get an offer from a top club. And if Borussia Dortmund also fly out to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League from Benfica ...
Tuchel, again, may be more likely to be considered in connection with a possible departure from Borussia. Relations with the management of Dortmund are not too good for him, so in the summer he can become a free agent. If no one with a higher status can be obtained, then Tuchel's candidacy may emerge.
Other
Bookmakers give a large list of coaches who can replace Luis Enrique. Interestingly, along with Pochettino and Tuchel, the chances of Oscar Garcia, who heads Red Bull Salzburg, are estimated. Following this trio in the list of contenders are Paco Jemes and Juan Unsue. Carles Puyol, Javi Hernandez, Mikael Laudrup, Diego Simeone, Jurgen Klopp and Frank de Boer have equal chances to lead Barcelona.
Interestingly, the chances of Carlo Ancelotti and Josep Guardiola are regarded equally, but they do not look real. More chances for Marcelo Bielsa.
Andrey Tsentrov
Immediately after Luis Enrique announced his resignation in March, he worked with the team until the end of the season.
In addition to Ernesto Valverde, Luis Enrique's assistant at Barça, Juan Carlos Unsue and Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli, were nominated for the position.
Unsue had to refuse the candidacy, because of his conflict with one of the leaders of the team, the Brazilian Neymar, who said that if he was appointed, he would leave Barcelona. Jorge Sampaoli made a choice in favor of the Argentina national team.
Why choose this trainer
At 53, Ernesto Valverde has no international reputation, so his appointment to a Barcelona-like team has raised questions. However, it was precisely such a specialist at this stage that the leadership of the Catalan club was looking for, which wants the “era of Lionel Messi” to last as long as possible.
It's no secret that the Catalans' game is built around the outstanding Argentinean, and the club's bosses listen to his opinion first of all. Rumor has it that it was misunderstandings with Messi that became the true reason for the resignation of Luis Enrique.
Valverde is considered a person who knows how to smooth sharp corners and will not conflict with the main stars of the team. That is, its task is to create ideal conditions for Messi, who, despite being 30 years old, still demonstrates a game of the highest class and is quite capable of holding on at this level for several more years.
Will Valverde change tactics?
When choosing a new coach in Barcelona, no doubt, they paid attention to what kind of game philosophy the specialist adheres to. They don't want to break anything in the Catalan club.
Valverde's tactics fit perfectly into this scheme. This coach is an adherent of the attacking style with the active use of the flanks - football, which is traditionally offered by the Catalan team.
How will the transfer policy change?
The strength of Ernesto Valverde is his ability to work with young talents. For "Barcelona" this is especially true in light of several failed transfer campaigns, when hundreds of millions were thrown to the wind, and potential stars such as Arda Turan, Jeremy Mathieu, did not become the main ones.
At the same time, the club is dissatisfied with the fact that main team there are few pupils of "Barcelona", the cultivation of which has always been a traditional virtue of the Catalans.
Valverde, on the other hand, brought up players in the much more modest Athletic Bilbao with a specific transfer policy of the club, which mainly plays Basques by nationality. Therefore, to achieve success in such conditions is worth a lot.
What achievements does Valverde have
In 2015, it was Valverde who brought Athletic the first title in 31 years. In the match for the Spanish Super Cup, the Basques defeated Barcelona 4-0 at home, which also, no doubt, attracted the attention of the Catalans to the coach.
Interestingly, Valverde previously could lead Barça three times, and for the first time he was on the list of candidates back in 2008. A year after he led the modest Espanyol to the UEFA Cup final, where he lost only in the penalty shootout to another Spanish team - Sevilla.
And Valverde also has three championship titles in Greece with Olympiacos. The club, which was never able to cope with the Spaniard led by Metalist Myron Markevich, losing to the Kharkiv team in the group round of the UEFA Cup in 2008, and the 1/8 finals of the Europa League-2012.
Another Valverde team, Athletic, played more successfully against Shakhtar in the group stage of the Champions League in 2014, and having played at home with the Donetsk team 0:0, they won in Lviv - 1:0. Actually getting into the group stage of the main European Cup with the club from Bilbao is another weighty argument that is always credited to Valverde's asset.
What connects Valverde with Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde at the time of his playing career for his small height - 167 cm and diligence, he was nicknamed the Ant. The right winger gained attention thanks to his success at Espanyol, with whom he reached the UEFA Cup final in 1986.
The football player was noticed by Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff, who invited Valverde to the team in 1988. However, for two years in the Catalan superclub, the football player did not really become his own.
He won only the Cup Winners' Cup with Barça in 1989, and the Catalans have already won their first Champions League in 1992 without Valverde, who moved to Atlético Madrid.
One way or another, Johan Cruyff remembered Valverde's diligence and always noted his coaching successes. It is believed that it was the legendary Dutchman, who had a huge impact on the management of Barcelona, who repeatedly advised the appointment of this coach. And now Ernesto Valverde's time has finally come.
