Barca manager Valverde unhappy with Chelsea’s extra rest

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Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde would have liked more time to prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea hosted Championship side Hull City in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday, which gives them the following three days to prepare for Barca’s round-of-16 visit next week.

Barca, meanwhile, play away at Eibar in La Liga on Saturday, leaving them with two days to plan for the game, with one of them taken up traveling to London. It’s a difference of less than 24 hours, but Valverde feels it’s significant.

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“That day is enough of a difference in terms of recovering physically,” he said in a news conference. “I would have liked to play against Eibar on Friday, too, to have an extra day before the game against Chelsea.”

“But [the Eibar] game is an important one as well. The only game we’re thinking about right now is that one. We’re not thinking about Tuesday’s game.”

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