Valverde set to stay at Barcelona?

According to a recent report from Marca, Barcelona are said to have decided against getting rid of Ernesto Valverde as their manager. The belief has long since been that he was going to depart the club during the summer transfer window, with Roberto Martinez being tipped as the most likely replacement. Now, however, it no longer seems as if that’s going to be the case, and the support of a few key players is said to be one of the reasons for that. Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Ivan Rakitic and Lionel Messi are all said to have put their support behind Valverde following a mixed season for the club. Their La Liga title win was impressive, but their losses in the Copa del Rey final and Champions League semi final left a lot to be desired. If he stays, you’d have to imagine a minimum of two trophies next season would be a must.