The Ocean have been troubled and the Sky is angry, the wind in Camp Nou is Cold and no one can tell what next to expect from the Camp of Barcelona. While 'am afraid there may be a knee-jerk decision in reaction to Barcelona's Copa Del Rey painful defeat to Valencia in the Final, lots of other Barca fans have taken to the media to protest against Valverde and mount pressure on the administration for him to be fired without further delay.
The mighty have fallen, no one saw this coming, not even the great octupus. Who would have believed that FC Barcelona will end up winning just one title this season after being on course for a treble about 20 days ago or thereabout. For Ernesto Valverde, he was at the verge of writing his name in the clubs hall of fame, but fate had some other plans for him. Grabbing the Spanish league for the second time in a row, the catalan manager was hopeful of leading the Spanish giants to another European glory after years of Madrid's dominance.
Most times, nothing wrecks a man's heart more than near-victory. Getting so close and then not reaching the finish line. Perhaps, Valverde will now understand what Liverpool and Klopp went through after being beating in the Champions League final last season by a highflying Real Madrid side. But the Guys from Anfield have shown they are bigger than their yesterday and have proved their mettle again in this campaign. It's unfortunate that Ernesto Valverde's dream of winning the European Cup clashed with Liverpool's determination to conquer their yesterday's failure, so the former got swallowed.
Sent packing in The UEFA champions league in one of the most ignominious ways in the history of the Club, Ernesto's dream of lifting a treble this season got blown away in a twinkle of an eye. With European dreams chartered by Liverpool, the Barcelona manager came under huge criticisms for lack of tactical experience to navigate his team. But something was there to give him hope of winning the hearts of barca fans back, if not all, at least some percentage. He knew if he could beat Valencia, tension would have been doused and he wouldn't be totally branded as a failure. Winning the Copa Del Rey was in sight, and it appeared like things will go as planned.
Saturday night came with expectations, and it was Barcelona taking on Valencia in Seville. Valencia displayed they were more hungry for a trophy than Barcelona, and the first half of the match was enough for them to settle the game and put the match beyond the reach of Valverde's side. The catalan manager appeared confused and without direction on the next step to take. He depended so much on Messi's magical stunts and the experience of his squad, but Saturday night was one of those nights when the brilliance and smartest of a coach was needed. A feature many believe Valverde is bereft of.
With the Valencia leading 2-0 at halftime, the clouds were beginning to gather and the cold breeze of another possible heartbreak for Valverde could be felt. But with the second half in full swing, it looked like the Argentine magician will appear from the clouds as usual to save his team, he tried but his competent best was not enough to cover up Valverde's coaching lapses against Valencia. The Barcelona captain continued to breathe threat in the attack all alone and was forcing Valencia's backline to do impromptu jobs. However, he still netted after much persistence to give Valverde hopes of winning a double this season. Messi's goal made it 2-1 and tension was high once again.
Valencia held on tight and will sure be grateful to Providence as Messi struck the woodwork later. The game ended 2-1 in favour of Valencia, meaning they can now smile at a major trophy after a decade. It's the first time the Spanish champions have failed to lift the Copa Del Rey trophy since 2014, and it calls for concern about the future of Ernesto Valverde in the club.
Do You Think It's Time For Ernesto Valverde To Leave Barcelona OR Should He Be Given Another Opportunity?
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