Abidal: After the Clasico we started looking at Valverde's exit

Eric Abidal explained the process that led in Ernesto Valverde being sacked.

"Our department has to have their homework done because you never know what can happen," said Abidal. "We started working on the coach during my first summer. We looked for information and after, the president decided to renew him. We took it on because it was a club decision, but we already saw the problem wasn't to do with results but that it was an internal thing. It's never easy to take that decision but after the Clasico on December 18, we started to concrete his exit."

Abidal made it clear that Valverde, even winning the Super Cup, would still have left.

"We watched the games and not the results, but how we played, the tactics, the work of the players who don't play a lot. I'm focused on those details. Many players weren't satisfied or working a lot and there was also an internal communication problem. The relationship between the coach and the dressing room has always been good but there are things as an ex-player that I could smell. I told the club what I thought and we reached a decision.'

On Quique Setien he said: "Quique has our DNA, loves to work and helps players who aren't playing a lot feel part of the group. The communication should flow and that makes the team better and compete more."