Barcelona icon on a possible future return to the club – ‘Taking it one step at a time’ | OneFootball

Victor Valdes, the former FC Barcelona goalkeeper, has returned to management after four years away from the professional spotlight, taking over as the new manager of Real Avila.

Having previously coached at Escuela Deportiva Moratalaz, Barça’s Juvenil A, and Horta in the Tercera RFEF, the Blaugrana legend has now been handed the reins of Real Avila in the fourth division of Spanish football.

Valdes addressed the media recently for the first time as the manager of Avila, wherein he was asked about a potential return to Barcelona in the future.

In response, the Spanish legend said: “I’m taking it one step at a time. This is the opportunity I have now. I am in Segunda RFEF.

“What you’re talking about are bigger things. I have to be humble, learning from my mistakes and celebrating small and big victories.”

Victor Valdes has returned to management. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

When asked about his coaching style and philosophy, he noted: “I like to enhance the players’ talent. I work a lot on attacking play, creating numerical superiority to reach the opponent’s goal.

“And I want the team to be solid in defence. There is no room for blame here. I want to build unity and brotherhood.”

A product of La Masia, Valdes enjoyed a hugely successful stint with Barcelona, racking up 536 first-team appearances before leaving as a free agent in 2014.

The former goalkeeper won six La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League trophies during his time, among several other honours.

Valdes returned to Barça in 2019 joining the club’s youth academy as a coach, but stayed for only a few months. Whether a future return to the team as a first-team manager materialises remains to be seen.

Source: MARCA