Lionel Messi, Ernesto Valverde express gratitude after Valverde's sacking from Barcelona

LaLiga champions FC Barcelona sacked their manager Ernesto Valverde on Monday. The club have named Quique Setien as his replacement. Barcelona star Lionel Messi posted a heartfelt message for the out-going manager.

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Lionel Messi expressed his gratitude to Ernesto Valverde

Lionel Messi took to Instagram to bid farewell to Ernesto Valverde. Messi thanked Valverde for his time at the club. He also lauded Valverde as a great person, great manager and a great professional. The Barcelona star also wished Valverde success in his future endeavours.

Ernesto Valverde also thanked the club for the support

Ernesto Valverde also posted a message for the club fans on the official Barcelona website. He described his two-and-a-half year stint at Camp Nou as intense. He appreciated the support that he received from the fans while also thanking President Josep Maria Bartomeu and the board of directors for giving him the opportunity to coach the first team. He also expressed his gratitude towards the staff and the first team players and wished well for the new manager Quique Setien.

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Barcelona were knocked out of the Spanish Super Cup by Atletico Madrid

Ernesto Valverde had six months left in his contract, along with an option to extend it further by a year. However, he was sacked after the team’s not-so-impressive performance in the current season. Though the Catalan giants are currently leading in LaLiga, they were knocked out by Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup recently.

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Quique Setien will manage his first game against Granada

Quique Setien, a former Spanish midfielder, has managed the likes of UD Las Palmas and Real Betis. He has a lot of experience of managing in the Spanish top-flight competition. He was the Real Betis manager when they defeated Barcelona 4-3 at Camp Nou in 2018. It was Barcelona's last defeat at home. He is set to manage his first game with Barcelona against Granada in the LaLiga on Sunday, January 19, 2020 (January 20 IST).

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Image credits- Lionel Messi Instagram