River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo has been linked with the Barcelona job this past week, but he has done his part to play down the rumours.
As noted by AS, it had even been suggested that the Argentine tactician could replace Ernesto Valverde as early as next month, with the Catalan giants going through some struggles so far this season.
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Although they do sit just a point off top spot in La Liga with two games in hand on leaders Real Sociedad as well leading the way in Group F in the Champions League, they haven’t always convinced.
This week has been a perfect example of that having lost to Levante last weekend before being held by Slavia Prague at home in Europe during the week.
In turn, that has seemingly led to question marks being raised over Valverde’s future, but based on his comments below, it doesn’t sound as though Gallardo is in a huge rush to leave his current post and make the move to the Nou Camp.
“I can’t echo rumours. No one offered me a meeting or a conversation about my future. This is not the time to do it,” he told Globo Esporte, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
“We are in a very important phase for our club and we are playing decisive matches. Of course, there is nothing that prevents me from concentrating on my goals.”
That doesn’t necessarily rule it out from being a possibility in the future, but Gallardo sounds pretty focused and committed to his work at River Plate for now, and so Valverde can perhaps rest easy over speculation linking him with being his successor at Barcelona.
Nevertheless, if both results and performances don’t improve between now and the end of the campaign, Valverde’s position will undoubtedly be under threat and a replacement may well be targeted.
