Confidential SPORT: The day when Ernesto Valverde gets serious

During the week there is one day -- or two, in the case that there's a midweek game -- when Ernesto Valverde radically changes the dynamic of the work. It's the day before a game, known as the "preview" session. 

To begin with, the session before a game is always in the evening. Why? Because Valverde feels it's the best way to adapt to the biorhythm of the time when the game will take place the following day. 

The players, meanwhile, have to arrive two hours before the session as opposed to the normal one hour. The reason is that the day before the game there is a video session and tactical work with the squad, too. 

But this work is done in a different way to Luis Enrique, given Valverde prefers to work with reduced groups, with the squad divided into defenders, midfielders and forwards, before a group talk to finish. 

After training, there's also a different to other days: the squad announcement. It's said it's one of the things Valverde likes the least, as he prefers to work with a smaller squad and he feels 24 is too many as he has to cut six players to reduce the list to 18. 

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