Valverde's position not in danger, says Barca chief

New Delhi, April 27: Despite having a good domestic season, there were reports that Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde could be sacked following their failure to qualify for Champions League semifinals.

In the current season, Barcelona won the Copa del Rey recently and are well on course to clinch the La Liga.

However, in the Champions League, they lost to AS Roma in the quarterfinals. Despite winning the first leg at home 4-1, Barcelona suffered a shocking 0-3 defeat in the return-leg at Rome and was eliminated from the tournament on the basis of the away- goal rules (4-4 on aggregate).

After that shocking defeat, the rumour mill was strong that Valverde is on his way out.

However, Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu clarified that there is no danger to Valverde’s position at the club.

In the Cadena Ser's radio show 'El Larguero', Bartomeu claimed, "It's false that Valverde's position was in any danger. He is in his first year and has just started a project, his project. We are very happy with him and we speak to him regularly. We haven't talked about this at all, it only appeared in the press. It is absolutely false. These types of things often come out. Someone must have said it, but it wasn't anyone on the board or the club."

After Luis Enrique’s three-season term ended in 2017 season, the former Barcelona forward Valverde was brought in on a two-year contract with the club.

Bartomeu further claimed that no-one on the board had a doubt about Valverde’s abilities, even after the shocking Champions League exit.

Bartomeu said, "After what happened last summer (with Neymar leaving) no-one on the board had any doubts about Valverde. We were all disappointed by what happened in Rome, but you have to look at how we reacted to the defeat.”

"No-one on the board had any doubts after Rome. No-one. The team's success in this project is guaranteed. If we win the double, it will have been an excellent season. It's not perfect, but it's the club's eighth double in our history. And it has nothing to do with what Real Madrid might win."