It’s hard to understand why Ernesto Valverde was not fired last year, and it’s even harder to understand now. After overseeing two consecutive collapses in the UEFA Champions League, the manager should’ve been shown the door. This is especially true after also losing the Copa del Rey final to Valencia last year.
His firing seemed imminent. Then, nothing. He was allowed to continue, and prospective new managers were told to look for jobs elsewhere.
What came next was strange, but perhaps predictable. Barcelona looked... all right. Good, but not great. They were first.