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Tag: Quique Setien

  • Quique Setien: Barcelona Yet To Inform Me Of Sack

    Quique Setien: Barcelona Yet To Inform Me Of Sack

    Former Barcelona coach Quique Setien claims the Catalans have not compensated him for his early dismissal, or even called to inform of his contract termination three months on.

    Setien replaced Ernesto Valverde in January signing on a contract until 2022 as the club hoped to reconnect with their philosophy of exciting, possession-based football.

    However, Setien’s time at Barça was marred with problems, from an apparently strained relationship with talisman Lionel Messi that reportedly spread to other members of the squad, to underwhelming results and performances on the pitch.

    The culmination of numerous issues at the club was the 8-2 humiliation by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final.

    The embarrassing result contributed to Messi’s desire to leave and effectively spelled the end for Setien in August.

    Setien was swiftly replaced by Ronald Koeman, who himself is struggling to oversee an improvement.

    Though Setien opened legal proceedings against Barça the following month as he alleged that he and his coaching staff were only given official notification of their contract terminations in September via Burofax.

    More than three months on from his initial dismissal and Setien is claiming Barça still have not spoken to him directly about his sacking or paid compensation, though his staff did reach agreements with the club in the past week.

    “Barca have not compensated me, nor have they offered me anything,” Setien told COPE’s El Partidazo show. 

    “They have not even called me to tell me that I am dismissed.

    “It’s evident that the club is going through a worrying moment, something that when you arrive is clearly perceived and which directly affects sports performance.

    “You always believe that from within you may be able to help solve it, but for us, despite putting everything on our side, it has been impossible.”

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  • Former Barcelona boss shot himself in the foot, says Bojan

    Former Barcelona boss shot himself in the foot, says Bojan

    Quique Setien should not have dragged Lionel Messi’s name into his list of excuses for failing at Barcelona, says Bojan Krkic, with an ousted coach considered to have shot himself in the foot.

    A man relieved of his duties at Camp Nou on the back of a disappointing end to the 2019-20 campaign – which culminated in a humiliating 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich – has broken his silence on a forgettable spell in Catalunya.

    Setien has accused Barca talisman Messi of being “difficult to manage”, with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner considered to hold too much power at the Liga outfit.

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    Bojan, though, believes that the 62-year-old is merely looking to cover up his own deficiencies, with anyone taking the reins at one of the biggest clubs in world football fully aware of the pressure and challenges they will face.

    The former Blaugrana star, who graduated out of the famed La Masia academy system alongside Messi, told Sport: “Being part of Barca comes with a lot of hard work but it’s also a privilege.

    “Quique Setien landed the top job and, despite everything, is now part of the club’s history. No one can take that away from him, regardless of the fact Barca could clearly have done better with him in charge. 

    “Not everything that went wrong would have been to do with him but when things don’t go as you hoped, what you shouldn’t do is look for excuses elsewhere – especially in a public forum.

    “For that reason, Setien’s recent comments seemed unfortunate to me. To resort to excuses and to focus on the best player, I think is to shoot yourself in your foot if you want to coach a club of a certain size again in the future, where there are always strong characters in the dressing room. 

    “Because what was Setien’s real problem? That Lionel Messi is difficult or that he and his staff were not capable of managing the level of demand that comes with these types of players? I think that’s the key question”.

    “Setien was wrong to look for excuses outside and not look at himself, but what really concerns me is that this is a problem that’s found too frequently at Barca. 

    “That’s why I like Ronald Koeman’s attitude so much. Beyond what’s happening, he’s showing that he’s a coach with charisma and character. He’s making decisions with the club in mind (which may later prove incorrect) but at least he’s making it obvious that he’s not looking for excuses despite the difficulty of the situation.

    “He could use many things as justification for results, but what he’s done is make big choices without shaking. You feel something’s being built and that is something right now. 

    “No one is looking for guilt at the moment and that invites me to think that a positive evolution is afoot. That motivates me. Time will tell.”

    Barcelona have been inconsistent at times through the early months of their 2020-21 campaign, but entered the November international break on the back of a 5-2 win over Real Betis that has them up to eighth in La Liga with games in hand and with positive progress made in the Champions League.

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  • Barca coach not convinced by plans to restart La Liga

    Barca coach not convinced by plans to restart La Liga

    Barcelona coach, Quique Setien, is pessimistic that the Spanish top flight season will be able to be completed and has called La Liga’s conditions for the campaign recommencing “a non-starter” due to the continued threat of the novel coronavirus.

    La Liga has been on hold since March 10 due to the pandemic, although president Javier Tebas has said matches could start up again on either May 29, June 7 or June 28, most likely without spectators.

    Tebas has estimated Spanish clubs would lose around one billion euros (1.09 billion dollars) if the season is not completed.

    A draft of the league’s protocol for returning to training and matches, once given the green light by health authorities, recommends that clubs hold training camps at their training grounds or hotels for a two-week period before matches can start again.

    “Only first team players, coaching staff and a small number of other staff would be allowed to access the facility, with everyone at the training camp being subjected to two COVID-19 tests before accessing the site.

    “Testing would continue to take place during the camps,” added the protocol.

    But Setien, whose Barca side held a two-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the standings when the campaign was indefinitely postponed, does not think it is so simple.

    “Everyone wants to be ready for when the season starts again but that cannot happen until the health authorities can guarantee that there will be no problems.

    “I have read the protocol and the reality is I don’t know if it can be carried out as it is written, I think it’s unworkable, I think it’s very difficult logistically,” Setien told Catalan radio station RAC1 on Thursday.

    Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets also expressed doubts about the feasability of clubs holding training camps.

    “We can start training again little by little but it will be difficult once everyone comes together and the competition starts again and teams start travelling.

    “I have heard that La Liga wants teams to concentrate for a few months, I think that’s too much and it cannot be done. There will be too many problems,” he told Spanish radio stations Onda Cero and Cadena Cope.

    La Liga declined to comment on Setien and Busquets’ comments although a source close to the matter said stakeholders were continuing to discuss a plan to return to matches along with the association of European leagues.

    “The objective of La Liga is to create a protocol of the highest possible standard that can allow return to training and get us in a good, healthy, way to the light at the end of this dark tunnel,” added the source.

    More than 19,000 people have died from the coronavirus in Spain although this week the government loosened the terms of a strict lockdown to allow some businesses back to work. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Barcelona sack coach Valverde, appoint Setien till June 2022

    Barcelona sack coach Valverde, appoint Setien till June 2022

    Barcelona have sacked coach Ernesto Valverde and named former Real Betis coach Quique Setien as his replacement, the club said in a statement on Monday.

    “FC Barcelona and Quique Setien have reached an agreement for the latter to become first team coach until 30 June 2022,” the Spanish champions said in a statement.

    The 55-year-old Valverde, who led Barcelona to successive La Liga titles in 2018 and 2019, came under fire this season for the team’s dip in performance levels even though they top the league standings at the halfway point of the campaign.

    Valverde is the first coach Barca have dispensed with in the middle of a campaign since Louis van Gaal was sacked in January 2003 with the team sitting 12th in the standings.

    He also won the Copa del Rey in 2018 after taking charge in 2017.

    Barcelona lead the standings on 40 points, ahead of second-placed Real Madrid on goal difference.

    Barca are also into the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Napoli.

    Even though he had a superb domestic record, Valverde’s standing was weakened by his failure to win the Champions League, suffering shock eliminations by AS Roma in 2018 and Liverpool in 2019 after taking a three-goal lead in each tie.

    The tide appeared to turn against the coach after a 2-2 draw at struggling Espanyol which was followed by a 3-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals.

    Setien, 61, coached Real Betis last season but left by mutual consent after leading the club to a 10th-place finish.

    The former Atletico Madrid and Racing Santander player is known for his possession football and attacking gameplan, which suits the way Barcelona were known for playing in the iconic Pep Guardiola era.(Reuters/NAN)