IN the worst kept secret in European soccer, Ernesto Valverde was officially named Barcelona coach Monday.

Valverde follows in a long and famous line of former Barcelona players to manage the club.

However, unlike two of his more recent predecessors, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, Valverde is little known outside of Spain having had a far less distinguished playing and managerial career thus far.

Central to Valverde’s candidacy is the fact he played for Barcelona under Johan Cruyff, winning a Cup Winners’ Cup and a Copa del Rey in his two seasons at the Camp Nou from 1988 to 1990.

That was the highlight of a playing career that also took in spells at now dissolved Basque club Sestao, Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao and Mallorca.

Cruyff is still revered in Catalonia as the patriarch of Barcelona’s style that has made them world renowned even 21 years since the Dutch great, who died in 2016, left as coach.

One of the sticks with which Luis Enrique was beaten during his third and final season, which only delivered the Copa del Rey was his insistence on making Barca a more direct, counter-attacking force.

That was in an attempt to get the best out of a star front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

However, that came at a cost of losing control in midfield, a key tenant of Cruyff and Guardiola’s principles.

Restoring balance to the Barca midfield will be one of Valverde’s most important tasks, as will another of Cruyff’s legacies in ensuring there is once more a steady flow from the club’s youth academy into the first team.

“Valverde has the ability, the judgement, the knowledge and the experience. He promotes the youth players and he has a Barca way,” said president Josep Maria Bartomeu, announcing the appointment.

Valverde has proven adept at harnessing young talents such as Inaki Williams and Aymeric Laporte into the first team over the past four seasons during which Athletic has qualified for Europe every year.

(SD-Agencies)