Valverde vows to ‘revisit’ Barca’s tiki-taka
BARCELONA: Newly-installed Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde vowed Thursday to “deepen” and “revisit” the renowned slick passing game of the Catalan giants in a bid to lead the club to success in all possible competitions next season.
“I know the style because I played here” between 1998-2000, Valverde said at his first press conference after being named successor to Luis Enrique on a two-year contract with the option of a further year.
“I must adapt myself, or rather readapt, in a certain way. My goal is always to deepen the style, to revisit it once again.”
Valverde, 53, has some big shoes to fill, Enrique having won nine of 13 possible trophies in his time at the helm.
“I must absolutely adapt to the style of the gameplan employed by the team, which has had so much success,” said the coach, who signed from Athletic Bilbao.
“To have a very col lective gameplan, based on midfielders,” he said, adding that he wanted to win “all competitions that we can” next season.
“What I’ve always liked is that Barca manages to achieve its ends through its gameplan, without speculating, by going forward.”
Valverde did not say what exactly he wanted to improve.
“We’ll see over time,” he said. “In football, you always have to keep going forward. If you don’t, you go backwards. But it’s a progressive issue and we’ll see little by little.
“To say what can be improved is a dangerous thing and I can only tip my hat to what my predecessor Luis Enrique, who is a great coach, achieved here.
“I have my idea about what can be done, not better but in a different way.”
Turning to his motivation in joining Barca, Valverde said: “I said I wanted a tough challenge and it’s one the toughest.
“When a team like FC Barcelona calls you, you don’t have to think about it too much.”
Valverde also dismissed any wor ries about managing a squad packed with some of the world’s best-paid and recognised players.
“I expect to find a squad of young players who want to win and will give the best of themselves,” he said.
“We idealise too much all this, millionaire players and all that. I don’t know many players who were born millionaires.”
Working with Argentina’s Leo Messi would be a “unique experience”, the coach added.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever seen on a pitch. Sometimes you could say Leo Messi has reached the summit, but he surprises you even more the following day.
“I hope to enjoy seeing him play and do everything possible to help him. And I hope he’ll continue to surprise us.” — AFP AFP Sports looks at five key clashes that will have a major impact on who comes out on top:
Cristiano Ronaldo v Leonardo Bonucci Ronaldo by his own admission has never been fitter, fresher or in better form at the end of a season as he is now.
The Portuguese has scored 14 goals in his last nine appearances, including hat-tricks against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in the quarter and semi-finals respectively.
However, Ronaldo is now faced with the meanest defence in the Champions League led by one of the world’s best in Bonucci.
Along with Italian international teammates Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon, Bonucci kept Barcelona’s fabled strikeforce of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar scoreless over 180 minutes in the quarter-finals.
Sergio Ramos v Gonzalo Higuain Higuain faces his old side hoping to dispell his reputation as a big game bottler and justify Juventus’ 90 million euro splash on the Argentine last summer.
A poor return on the Champions League stages was what led to Higuain being sold by Madrid to Napoli in 2013.
And he missed big chances to cost Argentina dear in the finals of the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America. Ramos, by contrast, is very much the man for the big occasion. He is the only defender to have scored in two Champions League finals having netted against Atletico in 2014 and 2016.
Marcelo v Dani Alves Similar in style and personality, these two Brazilian full-backs will bomb forward at every opportunity to try and expose the other’s defensive shortcomings.
No active player has beaten Madrid more than Alves’s 22 victories during his time with Barcelona and Sevilla.
At 34 he has been reborn in his debut season with the Vecchia Signora, scoring a sensational volley and providing Juventus’s other three goals in their semi-final win over Monaco.
Marcelo’s importance to Madrid is underlined by the fact his supreme energy levels allow him to often cover the whole left wing to himself as Ronaldo drifts inside.
Casemiro v Paulo Dybala Dybala enhanced his burgeoning reputation and increased comparisons with Messi with a two- goal blitz inside the first 22 minutes from which Barca never recovered in the quarters.
However, finding space between the defence and midfield is a far trickier task against Madrid thanks to Casemiro’s presence.
The Brazilian can often be overzealous with his tough tackling, though, and could walk a fine line against the fleet-footed Dybala.
Luka Modric v Miralem Pjanic With so much attacking talent on both sides, Modric and Pjanic will be tasked with providing the ammunition as the creative hubs in midfield.
After a slow start to the season, Pjanic has ensured Paul Pogba hasn’t been missed in Turin despite Juventus receiving a world record fee for the Frenchman.
Casemiro’s presence at the base of the midfield gives Modric more freedom to roam forward and with the likes of Isco, Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to aim for, Juventus can’t afford to give the Croatian any space. — AFP