Barcelona have agreed a one-year contract extension with sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta.
The 50-year-old Zubizarreta, whose previous deal was due to expire next summer, is now tied to the La Liga giants until June 30, 2014. There is also a clause in the agreement that would see the contract extended through June 30, 2016.
Former Barca and Spain goalkeeper Zubizarreta became sporting director at the Nou Camp in July 2010 after replacing fellow Basque Txiki Begiristain.
This is an important signing by Barcelona who need to show some stability in the wake of Pep Guardiola’s exit and the subsequent appointment of his former right-hand man, Tito Vilanova, as his replacement.
Zubizarreta, who was capped 126 times by Spain, succeeded Txiki Begiristain as the Blaugrana’s sporting director in 2010.
The former Barca shot-stopper initially signed a one-year contract with the club, but the option for a further two seasons was enacted by mutual agreement the following summer.