The Athletic boss' brilliant record with the club academy has made him a top target for the Catalans, and now he takes on their biggest rivals
COMMENT
Of all the names that have circulated regarding the soon-to-be vacant coaching role at Barcelona, Jorge Sampaoli and Ernesto Valverde's are by far the most discussed. The latter, supported by three years of sterling work at Athletic, now has the chance to prove he has the big-name mettle to go with his growing reputation as he attempts to do his prospective new employers a huge favour by taking down none other than Real Madrid.