Many fans have been criticizing Barcelona for being Messi-dependent. Since Valverde took over the team, Messi has been involved in 78% of the goals either through scoring or assisting. However, Leo tool the 'one-man team' concept to another level during the Copa del Rey match against Valencia.


During the final, the Argentine had the ball at his feet 31% of the time. In comparison, Valencia had only 23% possession as a whole. According to Arena Utd, this is a new record, as no player has scored higher since the metric was introduced.

Although Barca absolutely failed the end of the season, it seems that Valverde is here to stay. The club's president Bartomeu openly backed Ernesto, claiming that the Valencia defeat is not his fault. Big names like Pique, Busquets and Rakitic also support the coach.