Valverde celebrates 100th day as Barca boss with another win

Catalans rip apart Olympiakos on night of personal landmark for their new manager

BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde celebrated his first 100 days in charge and Lionel Messi hit his 100th European goal as the Catalan giants swept aside Olympiakos 3-1 on Wednesday.

Valverde has overseen a sublime start of 10 wins to go with a draw at Atletico Madrid last weekend in his first 11 La Liga and Champions League matches in charge.

However, that trouble-free start to life on the field contrasts with a series of distractions surrounding the club.

Valverde's men have coped admirably with the departure of Neymar, which provoked calls for club president Josep Maria Bartomeu to resign, and the tense political situation sweeping Catalonia.

In their first appearance at the Camp Nou since beating Las Palmas behind closed doors as a violence-marred referendum on Catalan independence took place on October 1, Barca were met with a largely empty stadium due to torrential rain in the hours before kick-off.

Yet there were still calls for Bartomeu's head, chants in favour of independence and a banner reading "Freedom for Catalonia."

"We concentrate on football so that the fans can enjoy themselves," said a characteristically calm Valverde. "In the stadium people come to express themselves, but the most fundamental thing is that they come to see their team win and that is what we are here for...to try to win."

The former Athletic Bilbao boss further said: "As the Barca coach I represent loads of people with many different personal opinions. The only thing that interests me is that my fans are happy and that the flag we defend is that of Barcelona."

A third straight win in Champions League Group D firmly maintains Barca's place at the top of the section, three points clear of Italian champions Juventus, who beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1 in Turin on Wednesday.

And Barca also enjoy a four-point lead at the top of La Liga thanks to Valverde's bright start.

"He has made the Camp Nou and the members fall in love with him," said Bartomeu of Valverde's start. "They are 100 very optimistic days and we have to be ambitious."