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Ernesto Valverde. By Vladimir Maiorov

Everything you need to know about Coach Ernesto Valverde

Ernesto Valverde Tejedor (born February 9, 1964) is a Spanish football manager and former forward. He is the current manager of Athletic Bilbao in La Liga.

Over ten seasons, he played 264 games and scored 68 goals in La Liga, while also appearing in 55 games and scoring nine goals in Second División. During his 14-year professional career, he played for six different clubs, including Espanyol, Barcelona, and Athletic Bilbao.

Valverde went on to have a lengthy managerial career, including stints at all three clubs. He won the double with Olympiacos in 2008-09 and 2011-12, and again in 2017-18 with Barcelona.
There are several other facts about him that you may not be aware of. Let’s look at some of them;

1. He is a good Photographer

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center.By See-ming Lee.

While most people associate Valverde with his soccer success, the Spaniard has also achieved great success in photography, a hobby he has pursued throughout his career.

Valverde’s art has found a special home in Athens, where it can be found on the walls of the Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center and the Giorgios Karaiskakis Stadium.

Valverde published a collection of black and white images in 2012, which have been described as “at once delicate and tough as if produced by two different hands” by Basque poet Bernardo Atxaga.

read FAMOUS FOOTBALL COACHES OF ALL TIME

2. Breaking records with Athletic Bilbao

Picture By Josetxu Zarzo

Valverde returned to Spain after leaving Greece to briefly manage Valencia and then Athletic Bilbao in 2013.

His first season in charge was a huge success, with his team finishing inside the top four and qualifying for the Champions League.

His greatest achievement with the club, however, came in 2015. Valverde led his team to the Supercopa de Espana final after finishing second in the Spanish Cup the previous season.

Barcelona awaited them in the final, but Valverde’s team performed admirably to defeat the Catalans 5-1 on aggregate. Athletic Bilbao’s first silverware in over 31 years.

3. Nicknamed ‘The Ant’

Valverde used to be a forward in Spain before becoming a manager. His career began at Alaves and Espanyol, but he also made 20 appearances for Barcelona before joining Athletic Bilbao.

And it was there that Bilbao manager Javier Clemente gave him the nickname ‘Txingurri’. The name, which translates to ‘The Ant’ in English, was given to Valverde because of his height and lack of physicality.

Valverde is 5ft 8in tall, but his low center of gravity caused problems for defenders during his playing days. Before retiring in 1997, he had scored 94 goals in 360 professional appearances.

4. Admired by Guardiola and Cruyff

Pep Guardiola. By Football.ua

Valverde has had plenty of success on the sidelines, and he has received some of the highest praise a manager could hope for.

Guardiola is not just a fan of his photography; in 2012, he recommended Valverde as his replacement at Barcelona. Instead, the Spanish club hired Guardiola’s assistant Tito Vilanova, but they eventually hired Valverde in 2017.

The greatest compliment Valverde has received comes from his former manager, Johan Cruyff.

Cruyff, who played under the legendary Dutchman at Barcelona, stated that Valverde “had an impact on all of us” even as a player.

Cruyff said of Valverde before he became a coach: “He was bright and always expressed a desire to learn. He’ll be one of the most promising coaches.”

read Interesting Facts about Pep Guardiola

5. Doing the double against Manchester United

In his managerial career, Valverde has faced Manchester United twice. Both games were against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in the 2019 Champions League knockout stages.

United was drawn against Barcelona in the quarter-finals after their incredible comeback in Â鶹APP, but there was no miracle result in this time.

The Catalans won the first leg 1-0 at Old Trafford thanks to a first-half own goal by Luke Shaw, but the second leg was far more convincing. Valverde’s team won 3-0 thanks to goals from Phillipe Coutinho and Lionel Messi.

6. Late Champions League collapses

Trent Alexander-Arnold walking to take the corner kick. By Dudek1337

While Valverde has an impressive Champions League record overall, the Spaniard has also witnessed some horrific collapses from his team late in games. In 2018, Valverde’s Barcelona faced Roma in the Champions League quarterfinals.

His team took a 4-1 lead in the first leg at Camp Nou, and it appeared that the tie was almost over – surely Barcelona would score again in Rome or simply fold.

Only a year later, Valverde’s team had advanced to the semi-finals, where they faced Liverpool. Barcelona played first this time, and a 3-0 win appeared to be the end of Liverpool’s European hopes.

However, Jurgen Klopp’s side staged a miraculous comeback in the second leg to win 4-0, thanks in part to a timely Trent Alexander-Arnold corner.

This is not a moment Valverde would want to remember.

read Things to know about Coach Jürgen Klopp

7. An unbeatable Barcelona

As previously stated, Barcelona eventually hired Valverde as a manager in 2017, and the Spaniard lived up to expectations.

Barcelona won La Liga and the Copa del Rey in his first season as manager. Despite losing in the Champions League, the Catalans extended their unbeaten La Liga run to 43 games and were only denied a full season without defeat when they were defeated 5-4 by Levante in their penultimate league game.

After a slow start to the 2018/19 season, Valverde’s team found form over the Christmas period, going on a 23-match unbeaten streak to win back-to-back titles.

After a string of poor results, he left the following season. Nonetheless, Valverde finished with a whopping 66.9% win percentage.

8. A debut double in Greece

Valverde went into coaching after retiring from football, rising through the ranks at Athletic Bilbao before taking over at another former club, Espanyol.

His real managerial breakthrough came in 2008 when he was named manager of the Greek club Olympiacos.

He was an instant success, leading the team to a league and cup double in his first season before refusing to sign a contract extension due to financial disagreements.

Valverde then took over at Villarreal before returning to Greece and Olympiacos in 2010. When he returned, he led the team to consecutive league titles and another Greek Cup victory in 2011/12.

9. Began as a manager in the YOUTH DEPARTMENTS of former club Athletic Bilbao

Picture By Football.ua,

Valverde began his career as a manager in the youth departments of former club Athletic Bilbao shortly after retiring. Four years later, he became a co-trainer in the main squad, and in 2002, he took over the B side as head coach, before being promoted to first-team duties the following year; they finished fifth and qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2003-04.

After a year away from football, Valverde rejoined another old friend, Espanyol. The Catalans reached another UEFA Cup final during his first season.

Ernesto Valverde is a coach who has had tremendous success in Spain. He has performed admirably, and his resume speaks for itself. After bringing glory to Olympiacos and Barcelona, he is now working for Athletic Bilbao. Much is anticipated from him. Fans and many people would like to see him manage an English football club because he is a good coach. That is the only thing that is missing from his resume.
In general, he is an excellent coach!