Soccer Odds: Will Valverde Sink or Swim at Barcelona?

Ernesto Valverde’s move to Barcelona was one of the worst-kept secrets in football this year. But Barca has now made it official: Valverde will be leaving Athletic Bilbao to take the reins from Luis Enrique at Camp Nou.

Enrique managed to win the treble during his first season as manager, and then the double in his second. This season, his third and final, was a disappointment by Barca’s ridiculously high standards, but it wasn’t all that bad. Barcelona finished a close second in La Liga and still took home the Copa del Rey.

After just three seasons, Enrique leaves the club with three Copa del Rey’s, two league titles, and one Champions League trophy.

During his four years managing Athletic Bilbao, Valverde took an average squad and made the most of what he was given. He created a team that was at times a little boring, but quite effective.

As is the case with most Barcelona hires, Valverde is familiar with the Barca system. He spent two years at the club as a young player.

The current Barcelona team is a well-oiled machine, and unlike Pep Guardiola or Johan Cruyff before him, Valverde is unlikely to make any major changes to the club. Rather, he’ll tinker with the line-up and make some minor but much-needed alterations.

For starters, something needs to be done about the defense. The club suffered two huge losses in the Champions League this year — losing 4-0 to PSG and 3-0 to Juventus — which ultimately led to their elimination. Their defensive vulnerabilities were mostly masked by their world-class attack, but the need for some changes was made abundantly clear this season.

Valverde is the man to do just that. At Bilbao, he was able to create an effective and reliable back line.

Barcelona is clear about expectations, so Valverde will need to bring in the silverware if he’s going to stick around. How will he do in his first season? Here are the odds:

Barcelona 2017-18 Odds

Odds Barcelona wins the 2017-18 treble: 13/1

Odds Barcelona wins the 2017-18 La Liga title: 11/9

Odds Barcelona wins the 2017-18 Champions League: 11/2

Odds Barcelona wins the 2017-18 Copa del Rey: 1/1

O/U on points in the 2017-18 La Liga season: 89.5

Odds Valverde returns for the 2018-19 season: 1/9

O/U on Valverde’s tenure at Barcelona: 3.5 seasons