Barcelona Manager Ernesto Valverde Reportedly 'Not Sure' About Blaugrana Future

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde is reportedly "not sure" about his future with the club and unwilling to extend his contract under the current conditions at the Camp Nou.

According to Lluis Mascaro of Catalan newspaper Sport, the manager believes he doesn't have the full support of the board and that has been the case since the Blaugrana were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by AS Roma last season.

Per Mascaro he has a fine relationship with the players and the real issues are with the board. As the tactician has an option for an extra year on his deal, he is in no rush to sign a new contract at this time.

The Catalans have openly discussed Valverde's contract situation, and President Josep Maria Bartomeu told Onda Cero (h/t Marca) he has set a March deadline:

"I would like him to continue, as he is the club coach and I like how he relates to us and to the players.

"When we talked we knew that he would succeed, we are very happy with how things are going, and he has always been our first choice.

"[March] is the ideal date for us to know what is going on for the next season."

Valverde had a fine first season with the Catalans and guided the club to the domestic double, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey. The failures in Europe were held against the tactician, however, and the 2018-19 campaign hasn't gone smoothly so far.

The Spanish champions have won just one of their last five matches across all competitions, and things could get even worse. They've been hit hard by the injury bug in defence, per Samuel Marsden of ESPN FC:

The upcoming schedule looks brutal, with matches against in-form Sevilla, Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the span of eight days.

Valverde's job looks safe for now and the Catalans seem eager to get his contract situation resolved, but the former Athletic Bilbao boss is understandably in no rush. He has the option and the rest of the 2018-19 campaign to make up his mind, unless things go drastically wrong and the club sack him before summer.

He'll likely be judged on success in Europe this season given the fact the Catalans have only won the Champions League once since 2010.