Madrid: Celta Vigo coach Luis Enrique looks the clear favourite to replace Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino at FC Barcelona after holding talks with Barca’s Director of Football, Andoni Zubizarreta.

Zubizarreta was photographed on Monday at the current Celta coach’s house in the town of Gava, which is just south of Barcelona, reports Xinhua.

Two members of the Barcelona technical staff, Albert Valentin and Marcis Julia were also present at the meeting, in which it is thought Enrique and Zubizarreta discussed the Barca job.

Luis Enrique, who spent eight years as a Barcelona player before coaching the club’s B-team for three seasons between 2008-2011, has emerged as the front-runner for the manager position after Ernesto Valverde, who this season has taken Athletic Club Bilbao into the Champions League, ruled himself out.

Martino has another year on his contract with the club but, speaking to the press after his side’s 2-2 draw at home to lowly Getafe on Saturday, he made a series of declarations which made it clear he does not expect to continue in his role for another season.

“I am the person most responsible for the bad season,” said Martino, when asked if he felt he deserved a second chance at the club.

“Sometimes you feel you have not done enough [to get a second chance]. I will look at my feelings before saying anything. It has not been a good season either on a personal level or for Barcelona. It has been difficult for football and non-football reasons.”

“It is not a question of happiness, but I have not been able to impart my intentions on the team and we have never been able to offer the best level of Barcelona,” said Martino.

Although Enrique would be a popular choice to return to Barcelona, the timing of his meeting with Zubizarreta and the fact that it has become public is not perfect, given that Atletico Madrid’s defeat to Levante and Real Madrid’s home draw with Valencia on Sunday, means Barca are back in the title race and one result they need to go their way is when Luis Enrique’s current club entertain Real Madrid on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid travel to Valladolid on Wednesday night for one of the most important games of the season as they look to remain in the race for the La Liga title.

Sunday’s shock 2-2 draw at home to Valencia leaves Real Madrid five points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid and two points behind FC Barcelona with a game in hand, reports Xinhua.

Now Carlo Ancelotti’s side have no option other than to take all points from their visit to the Nuevo Zorilla Stadium if they want to remain in the hunt for the title.

The big news for the game is that Iker Casillas will replace Diego Lopez in goal after Ancelotti’s comment last week that it was only fair the Spain international was given more game time ahead of the Champions League final on May 24.

The Real Madrid coach has doubts over the fitness of midfielder, Luka Modric, who missed the game at the weekend as a result of a muscle injury, but has no other worries other than that of long-term absentees Alvaro Arbeloa and Jese Rodriguez. It is possible that Sami Khedira could get some minutes in the game as he completes his comeback from a knee operation.

Ancelotti will be hoping that Modric can recover in time as the Real midfield lacked creativity at times on Sunday with Asier Illaramendi showing that he and Xabi Alonso are too similar in their styles to be a perfect midfield duo.

Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to maintain his form and end the season as the top scorer in La Liga and also in Europe. The Portuguese international appears to have put his injury problems behind him and has 31 league goals this campaign: the same as Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, but while Suarez has just one game left this season, Ronaldo has three in order to add to his total.

Valladolid also have a lot at stake in the game as they need all three points in order to climb out of the relegation zone.

Jose Ignacio Martinez watched on Saturday as his side battled to a 1-0 win at home to Espanyol and they will have to dig deep again on Wednesday if they are to take another three points.

Granada’s 1-1 draw away to Real Sociedad Monday night made Valladolid’s survival a bit tougher and, as a result, Real Madrid can forget any thoughts of an easy win in a game both Atletico and Barcelona will be following with interest.