Monaco boss Robert Moreno has said “nothing in football surprises me anymore” after Barcelona sacked Ernesto Valverde.
The former Athletic Club Bilbao boss has been replaced in the Camp Nou hotseat by Quique Setien, who has penned a two-and-a-half year contract at the club.
Moreno used his own departure from the Spanish national team – late last year – as an example of how successes are not always enough for a Coach.
“I'm not surprised at anything in the world of football, nothing, I'm an example,” Moreno said, as cited by El Mundo Deportivo.
“I know Valverde. What happened to him is not good. He is a great Coach, he has my respect, he has my support.
“I don't know Setién but I saw his teams and I like his style. I wish him good luck because I have been at Barcelona , I am from Barcelona , I am a member of Barcelona and I have many friends among the players.”
In Valverde’s first season at the club, Barcelona suffered only one league defeat – and after the title had already been won, with a 5-4 loss at Levante coming just days after the club had arranged a friendly match.
A hugely impressive debut campaign domestically also saw the Blaugrana lift the Copa del Rey, dismantling Sevilla 5-0 in the final – but a harrowing Champions League exit to Roma at the quarter-final stage was a low point.
The following league campaign brought just two meaningful league defeats – against Leganes and Real Betis – before the title had been wrapped up, although this time the Catalan giants lost out in the Copa decider, defeated 2-1 by Valencia.
Again though, the season suffered a massive low point with the club exiting the Champions League at the semi-final stage – blowing a 3-0 first leg lead against Liverpool to go down 4-0 in the second.
Somewhat surprisingly, Barcelona’s board reiterated their support of Valverde for this campaign and he has left them top of La Liga, but with just 40 points from 19 matches they are ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference only.
