Barcelona Chief Says Ernesto Valverde's Contract Renewal Is 'Not on the Table'

Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre has offered an update on manager Ernesto Valverde's future and said a contract renewal is "not on the table."

Valverde's contract expires at the end of the season, although there is an option of an additional year, and Mestre added that the club are happy with the 54-year-old, per Santi Gimenez at AS. 

"It’s a recurring situation that happens every year," Mestre said. "It was the case with Luis Enrique and with Guardiola. At this moment, Valverde's renewal is not on the table. Despite the fact that we are very happy with him, anything can happen in football."

Valverde won a league and cup double in his first season with Barcelona after joining from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2017.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

He's on track to add more silverware to his collection in the current campaign. The team are five points clear at the top of La Liga and into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey and the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

However, he told Barca TV (h/t Martin Domin at the Mirror) he is uncertain if he will remain at Barcelona, saying, "I do not know what I will do next season."

Barcelona players, such as Gerard Pique, have offered their backing to Valverde:

Midfielder Ivan Rakitic has said his team-mates are "all very happy with him," according to Marca (h/t Football Espana).

However, Valverde has attracted criticism during his time in charge, notably after Barcelona's shock Champions League exit against Roma last season.

Ben Hayward at the Evening Standard said he's been unfairly criticised:

Valverde's future may well depend on how his team fares this season. The club's priority is to win the Champions League for the first time since 2015, and the campaign is likely to be viewed as a failure if they fail to lift the European Cup.