Ernesto Valverde has reappeared in San Mamés. Sacked in January as coach of Barcelona, ??the manager has offered his first statements after his departure from the club during a forum on football in Bilbao. "These weeks I have not seen much football and I have done it a little from far. I have put a little distance with what is happening but when you are at a club at 200 per hour you cannot go to zero in one step. Yesterday I saw the Cup semifinal at times, on television. The only full match I've seen this month has been the Athletic-Barcelona for the Cup," he explained.

From Messi to Matt Simon ????????????

Ex-Barcelona coach Valverde wants a job down under!



MORE: https://t.co/T0l7S8JkgO pic.twitter.com/ncCF0E2QyC — FOX Sports Football (@FOXFOOTBALL) February 14, 2020

Athletic in his mind

The former Barça coach said that "it is always hard to see the teams you have been in recently, and you must put some distance. But if we talk about the Cup quarter-final match it was very similar to the one we had in the first League match in San Mamés. I do not want to generate controversy with it because I do not want to give rise to any conclusions. From every place I have been in, I took things to take advantage of in the future, you have to adapt, if I stop to think and look back, for everything that meant for people, winning the Super Cup with Athletic against Barcelona was special. I am from Athletic and training the club you are from and in your environment makes winning and losing much stronger. But hey, Athletic has such a good climate that it is the best thing I have ever done and found in my career. Come back? I just turned a year older and I see young coaches like Garitano, Etxeberria, Iraola. The future goes through them."

The worst moments in Barcelona

After winning two leagues, Roma and Liverpool finish with his dream in the Champions abruptly. "For me those situations are different. In Rome, we never were in the game, but you always think that with those players we can come back at any time. And in Liverpool when we started playing, they made us the goal we wanted to avoid. A goal would have sent us through and in one minute they scored two goals. These are situations that always happen, you always put yourself in the position of the winner. In the first leg with Liverpool we suffered a lot but we could win by four goals, the Champions League is very difficult to win, the Europa League, the World Cups, and Euro Cups are all tournaments that depend on a match, on a situation. The League instead marks what you have done in the year. Liverpool now gives much importance to the Premier League because they haven’t won it in a long time ", he continued explaining.

“If I have been unfairly treated, I have to avoid it"



Ernesto Valverde is reluctant to consider whether he was harshly treated at @FCBarcelona_es following his Camp Nou sacking in January. ???????#Barcelona https://t.co/qwQ40wE3ds — FOX Sports Asia (@FOXSportsAsia) February 14, 2020

Uncertain future

Valverde, who has changed his appearance with a prominent beard, stayed out of controversy regarding his last club. In recent weeks without football, he has taken advantage of cycling and cultivating other types of cultural concerns. His idea, though, is to return to work soon, but without marking dates. "Training Barcelona has been incredible luck. I know what it means to train there from all points of view and I am delighted to have been there. When you sign the contract you already know that everything depends on the results and that the coach will always be responsible. I don't think about whether I felt unfairly treated. I understand that many wonders about it, but this is about turning the page and not looking back. I am interested in going forward and in some way forget about the past. Once my departure was a fact, I had decided to stand still for a while and see what happens. I haven't decided anything yet. I like to do strange things, maybe a strange adventure. Look, when Iniesta told me he was going to Japan...”, he imagined leaving all doors open.

And until he decides where he trains, Valverde has already decided his nearest future. "I plan to go see several teams, I also want to be with other coaches, talk with them, confront ideas and different situations. "Your favorite to win La Liga? Real Madrid is strong and very focused on the League," he finished.

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