The two seasons Robert and Valverde spent together at FC Barcelona

The two seasons Robert and Valverde spent together at FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona’s technical director and Athletic Club’s manager started eleven matches together and twice scored in the same game

The current Athletic Club manager, Ernesto Valverde, and the Barça technical director, Robert Fernández, shared two years together at the Camp Nou, from 1988 to 1990.

Under the orders of Johan Cruyff, in the Dutchman’s first two seasons as manager at the club, they won the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the Copa del Rey.

When Valverde arrived at the Camp Nou from RCD Espanyol, Robert had already been at Barça for two years. Robert was a regular in the starting eleven under Terry Venables, Luis Aragonés and Cruyff; in four years, he racked up a total of 196 official matches, scoring 47 goals.

Valverde had more of a backup role in his time at Barça, making just 29 appearances and scoring 10 goals.

The pair featured together on 23 occasions, 15 times in 1988/89 and eight in the following season before leaving for pastures new. Valverde went to Athletic while Robert returned to Valencia.

Goalscorers in the same match

In two seasons at Barça, Robert and Valverde started eleven matches together and were twice on the scoresheet in the same match: the first time came in the second leg of the Copa del Rey last-16 match at the Camp Nou against Racing Santander. Valverde scored Barça’s second goal just after half-time while Robert scored a 77th minute winner in a 3-2 victory to book the Catalans’ place in the quarter finals.

The second time was in the final week of the 1988/89 season w Barça defeated Málaga 4-0. Valverde scored the second on 18 minutes and Robert got the fourth just before the hour-mark to seal an insignificant win as Barça could not mathematically finish higher than second place prior to the match.

Força Barça
Força Barça

Related to this article

Close article

Related to this article