Andres Iniesta: Barcelona's Behaviour Toward Ernesto Valverde Is 'A Little Ugly'

Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta has criticised the club's treatment of manager Ernesto Valverde amid reports he could be sacked on Monday. 

According to Sport, Valverde took training at Barca on Monday, but there will be several meetings at the club, including one at board level, that could see him relieved of his duties by the end of the day. Barca reportedly sounded out club legends Xavi Hernandez and Ronald Koeman over the weekend.

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague summarised his situation:

Iniesta told El Transistor (h/t Sport): "Barcelona's behaviour has been a little ugly. You have to have respect for your current coach. The way things are done is what can hurt the most." 

The 35-year-old, who left Barca in 2018 for Vissel Kobe, added that "Valverde's situation has been weakened," and he hopes "the situation at the club is solved because it's not nice what's going on, not for the coach, the players or the fans."

Valverde's position has come under threat after Barcelona let slip a 2-1 lead at Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup on Thursday, despite the competition being of relatively low importance.

Football commentator Kevin Hatchard and sports journalist Richard Martin are among those to criticise Barca's treatment of Valverde:

The 55-year-old has delivered back-to-back La Liga titles at the Camp Nou, as well as the Copa del Rey in his first season. The club reached the final of that competition last season, but they were beaten 2-1 by Valencia.

Some sections of Barcelona's support have been calling for him to leave for some time, though.

The team rely more heavily on Lionel Messi than ever before, and as a result of that their play rarely compares well with the attractive football they so often produced under Valverde's predecessors Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova and Luis Enrique.

Resentment from those supporters has largely been driven by the manner of Barcelona's UEFA Champions League exits under the coach, though.

In his first season, the team gave up a 4-1 first-leg lead against Roma in the quarter-finals, going out on away goals after a 3-0 defeat in Italy. Last season's departure was similar, as they beat Liverpool 3-0 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the semi-final before losing 4-0 at Anfield.

Barcelona blogger Kevin Williams believes Valverde should move on but defended his accomplishments at the club:

The Blaugrana's pursuit of a midseason replacement for Valverde is an unnecessary humiliation, particularly when his contract is up in the summer anyway.

If Valverde is sacked on Monday, he'll leave Barca top of La Liga after 19 matches, ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference, with Napoli awaiting in the last 16 of the Champions League and the team yet to enter the Copa del Rey.