The former shot-stopper is in charge of fourth-tier side Horta, but his approach to coaching has earned a furious rebuttal from a former player
Horta coach Victor Valdes possesses a "lack of humility" and thinks that he is "playing FIFA" when it comes to his managerial style, claims former player Sergi Moreno.
The former Barcelona goalkeeper took charge of the Tercera Division outfit ahead of the 2020-21 campaign and has overseen a mixed start to the new season, taking just two wins from his first seven games in charge.
That form led to the club, under Valdes' direction, to unexpectedly fire three players this week, including Moreno, who only arrived from Sant Andreu ahead of the current term, with five games under his belt before his exit.
Now, speaking to local station BTV, the 28-year-old has blasted the ex-national team shot-stopper, stating that Valdes treats his squad as if they were cards in a game.
"We were in the gym and, at the end of the session, Victor came in and told us that we weren't in his plans anymore, that we weren't what he was looking for footballing-wise," Moreno said.
"[He told us] to pick up our things and leave, that we weren't to train because he wanted to sign other players. Clubs should at least warn you and give you time to react.
"[Valdes has a] lack of humility and [he's] egocentric. He thinks he's playing FIFA, as if we, the players, were playing cards."
Moreno further rallied over the abrupt exit from a game where he has made his career, stressing the manager's arrogance, adding: "We're people before anything else and, with Victor Valdes, I felt treated like a piece of sh*t.
"I make a living off of this and now how am I going to pay everything I have to pay?"
Valdes - who enjoyed a prolific decade-plus career with the Blaugrana before concluding his playing days in English football - returned to Camp Nou as a youth coach last year.
He only lasted three months before he was let go and subsequently returned to management in the Tercera Division this year.
During his playing days at Barca, he was a six-time domestic champion in La Liga and was also a member of Spain's 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012-winning squads.