Barça Femení manager Jonatan Giráldez set to leave at the end of the season

In what could signal the beginning of the end of an era, Barça Femení manager Jonatan Giráldez is reportedly set to leave the club at the end of the season.

According to Relevo's Sandra Riqulme, Giráldez has decided not to renew his contract and instead will run out his deal which to expire in June of 2024.

Furthermore, according to Riquelme, Giráldez has an offer to manage a team in the United States in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The identity of that team, however, is still unknown.

His decision to leave has certainly sent shockwaves to Barcelona supporters as well as those who follow women's soccer in general. Giráldez took over from Lluis Cortes three seasons ago, following their first ever Champions League title.

Since taking over, he's won his own Champions League last season where the Catalan side came back from two goals down to beat Wolfsburg 3-2. He's carried on, and improved, from the work Cortes did and has made Barcelona the best team in the world.

In addition to results on the pitch, he is well-liked and respected by those in the dressing room. It's why deciding to leave has likely come as a shock to those players.

That decision seems final as Sport's Maria Tikas reports that there is no going back and his mind is made up. Tikas goes on to say that Giráldez is not someone who likes to stay in one place for too long. In fact, he was set to leave after their first Champions League title but decided to stay at the behest of former sporting director Markel Zubizaretta.

With Zubizaretta gone and Giráldez next, it's certainly two significant losses for Barcelona. Then there is the matter of the renewals. Alexia Putellas, Mapi Leon and Mariona Caldentey are three of the club's most important players and their deals are set to expire. There seems to be some progress with Putellas and Leon but little to no news on the status of Caldentey.

One thing is for certain though, ne w sporting director Marc Vivés certainly has his work cut out for him. Barça Femení has been the gold standard in the sport in recent history and now the challenge is to keep them there as long as possible. To do so, keeping their best players and finding a suitable replacement for Giráldez is going to be crucial.