6 candidates who can replace Luis Enrique at Barcelona
By Thuya Kyaw
2. Ernesto Valverde
Ernesto Valverde, similarly to Koeman, is also another former Barcelona player and currently working as the manger for Athletic Club Bilbao. He also shares other similarities with the Dutchman, which includes having coached Valencia and in the running to be the Barcelona boss next season.
Valverde has been a familiar name for Blaugrana fans lately, especially after his Bilbao side gave a 4-0 thumping to Barcelona in the 2015 Spanish Super Cup. He also managed to pull off a big win against Barcelona last night with just nine men in a Copa del Rey fixture, which ended as a 2-1 victory for the Basque club.
He shares a similar philosophy with the current Barcelona boss, by implementing high pressing and exciting football to his teams. He is considered to be the favorite to replace Enrique according to the Spanish media and is believed to deliver a smooth transition after taking over.
Enrique praised Valverde earlier this week and admitted to being a fan of the 52-year-old’s footballing ideas. Since taking over Bilbao in 2013, Valverde has managed to keep them among top seven in all three seasons while sticking to the policy of using Basque players only. The option of having an unlimited budget to spend on top class talent around the world will come as an attractive offer for Valverde and an opportunity to showcase his technical abilities to the world.