A timely exit would've been a victory for Valverde Barcelona Opinion of Jaime Rincon

Ernesto Valverde had to resign or negotiate his departure at the end of last season after the disaster at Anfield. Everyone knew it, from China to Timbuktu. They knew it everywhere but Barcelona.

A failure of such dimensions, repeated in the most damaging competition, had to be enough for the relationship between Valverde and Barcelona to come to an end.

The first people to realise this had to be Josep Maria Bartomeu and company. No other top European club would've kept a coach under these circumstances. But this board doesn't stand out for their sporting management, exactly.

So, maybe it should've been Valverde, as the proud man he is, who should've offered his resignation.

It's suspicious when you start to hear a coach being talked about as a 'great guy' or that 'he's always a great person'. This, translated into footballing terms, means that his credit as a coach is diminishing or at the point of running out.

And this is what happened with Valverde's good nature. His relationship with his players, his calmness in press conferences and his loveable character in delicate situations were his best virtues in the final months. In terms of footballing aspects, there was next to nothing.

The Champions League record is a shame because Valverde wasn't doing too badly with Barcelona. He won the double in his first season and another LaLiga Santander title in his second.

These were trophies that were won comfortably, with moments of brilliance, and bolstered by the impressive efficiency against Real Madrid. These merits were minimised by the continental shame.

Last summer, Valverde had to leave. He had to pack his bags and head off to an exotic destination, return to his city or find another adventure in coaching. He would've left with dignity. Not like now.

With a team whose playing style was reduced to ashes and the feeling of having contributed to absolute misgovernment.

Valverde doesn't deserve this - something we all agree on - to be belittled like he has been in last few days. But Barcelona, the institution - not the board - didn't deserve Valverde in the last few months.