ERNESTO VALVERDE’S APPOINTMENT as the new Barcelona manager moved another step closer this evening.
Athletic Bilbao released a two-line statement which confirmed that Valverde will not continue as their manager next season.
The move follows weeks of speculation which heavily tipped the 53-year-old as Barca’s preferred successor to Luis Enrique.
Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo report that Valverde, who played at the Camp Nou between 1988 and 1990, has agreed an initial two-year deal.
He is due to hold one final press conference in Bilbao on Wednesday but it is not clear if Barca will bring forward the timing of their own announcement.
The Catalan giants face Alaves in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, and said yesterday that their new coach would not be officially confirmed until Monday.
Valverde’s managerial CV includes Espanyol, whom he guided to the Uefa Cup final in 2007, three SuperLeague titles with Olympiakos in Greece, and spells at both Villarreal and Valencia before taking the Bilbao post in 2013.
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