"Marcelo Gallardo was hours away from being coach at Barcelona. River Plate played the Libertadores final against Flamengo [in November 2019] and he spoke with Eric Abidal by phone. Gallardo said if he began the pre-season with River, he would not go to Barcelona," the coach's friend Mariano Juan has told ESPN.
"In the meantime, Valverde won some games with Barcelona and Gallardo's potential appointment was delayed because the club were not going to kick him out. In December, Barcelona were thinking of hiring Gallardo but the club did not fire Valverde.
"Gallardo was the chosen one. Abidal played with him in France and that is why he called him. [In January], Gallardo told him that he was not going to Barcelona because he had begun pre-season with River Plate."
Eventually, Valverde was fired in January 2020, and Barca replaced him with Quique Setien. Abidal had also approached Xavi, but the Blaugrana legend thought it was too early for him to accept the job.
Gallardo is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in South America. In 2019, El Pais named him the best football coach in the Americas, while football website Club World Ranking named him the second-best coach in the world.
At River Plate, Gallardo has won 12 trophies (including two Copa Libertadores titles), making him the most decorated manager in the club's history. With him in charge, the Argentines have recorded 170 wins, 85 draws and 63 losses.
Latest news
