Ernesto Valverde believes a woman could coach Barcelona one day.

Valverde's side are seven points clear at the top of LaLiga as they seek to defend their title and the Catalan giants could still go one step better than last year's double triumph.

They are in the last 16 of the Champions League and face Lyon in the second leg next week, having already booked a place in the final of the Copa del Rey.

Valverde has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club for the 2019-20 season and, speaking on International Women's Day, the 55-year-old believes Barca could appoint a female head coach in the future.

"The truth is that the football world is taking big steps forward in recent times," said Valverde.

"It's unstoppable that women are going to have more presence.

"Women's football is making tremendous progress and there are clear examples of what it is achieving. 

"In men's football too there is more of a female presence and this will keep advancing further. 

"In time, there could be a woman managing Barca."

Speaking at an event to mark International Women's Day, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu highlighted Barca's commitment to equality.

"We are going to do the same as last year," Bartomeu said. "We're going to have an exercise of reflection and we want to value all of the efforts that are taken to achieve a status quo for women.

"We are very excited. Barcelona, since our foundation, have always been very sensitive to the evolution and needs of society. As a club, we can speak without hypocrisy.

"We have two women on the board, a very strong women's team and 44 per cent of our employees are women."