Barcelona have officially announced that Victor Valdes won’t continue at the club. U18 coach Fran Artiga, who has been at the club since 2010, replaces him as the Juvenil A coach.
Allegedly, the reason behind the dismissal is an internal conflict between the ex-goalkeeper and Patrick Kluivert.
Valdes refused to take part in the third-place match at the Otten Cup as he was concerned with the number of injuries his players suffered during the tournament.
Most recently, Victor was the only one who didn’t take part in the special dinner the club organized for the La Masia coaches.
Victor Valdes has been sacked by Barcelona less than three months after returning to Camp Nou. pic.twitter.com/UReKHuqmln
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 7, 2019
Besides these controversies, the club is allegedly unhappy with the results the ex-player is showing. Barca U19 have now lost two UEFA Youth League matches, including the heavy 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Inter.
A statement released by Barca on Saturday said: ‘Victor Valdes, coach of Juvenil A, will not travel to the game, which will be played against Gimnastic de Tarragona at the Municipal Camp de la Pobla de Mafumet’ (Barcelona Under 19s won 2-1).
Catalyunya Radio report Valdes has informed his players that his future as coach is in serious doubt, while SPORT say the former Spain international has even made his final farewells.
There have been a number of issues which have created conflict between Valdes and the Barcelona board since his arrival, namely his unwillingness to adapt his formation to a more rigid 4-4-2.
The 37-year-old also fell out with the club’s decision makers over his inability to use Estadi Johan Cruyff as the Under 19s ground because it was in use by the reserves and women’s team.
Valdes began his career at the Nou Camp and enjoyed a trophy-laden 12-years at the club before signing for United in 2015.