Barcelona sack Ernesto Valverde and announce replacement | OneFootball

Barcelona have sacked coach Ernesto Valverde after two-and-a-half years in charge at the Camp Nou.

The Blaugrana hadn’t dismissed a coach midway through a season since 2003 when Louis van Gaal got the chop after a dismal campaign in the Catalan capital.

The Spanish champions have moved quickly to fill the void and confirmed that the 55-year-old has been replaced by Quique Setién, who has penned a two-and-a-half year deal.

He will be officially be presented as the club’s new coach on Tuesday morning.

Pressure had been growing on Valverde since their defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final second leg last season.

It was the second year in a row that Barça had thrown away a seemingly unassailable lead and, as Messi put it last year, has “haunted” the squad ever since.

Valverde’s reputation suffered took a massive nosedive in the process, despite the club sitting top of LaLiga and preparing to face Napoli in the last 16 of the Champions League.

The former Athletic Club man leaves Barça having won two LaLiga titles and a Copa del Rey.