That in Barcelona there is, at least, a threat of fire, is a certainty. And that Bartomeu is doing his best to turn it off until the end of the season, too. As reported by RAC-1 in the program You will say This Monday night, the president of Barça, Josep Maria Bartomeu, took a car to meet Quique Setién at the Cantabrian coach's home. It was not alone. He was accompanied by the sports director, Eric Abidal; the manager responsible for the first staff, Javier Bordas; and the CEO of Bará, Grascar Grau.
According to RAC, the president of Barça wanted to show his support for the coach, although it is logical to think that he also wanted to collect information about the tense meeting that the players had this Sunday with the coach after the storm in the Balaídos locker room (according to SER, Setién said at the meeting with the players that he could not miss the respect that way. Some player told him he was right and some asked for forgiveness). All with a conciliatory desire to try to save a scenario that seems limit.
Setién is still in a weak situation despite the meeting this Sunday. Also his assistant, Eder Sarabia, who was not at the meeting. At Barça they trust that the images of Messi, Rakitic, Arthur or Alba in Balaídos are not repeated and that there is a surprising turn in the LaLiga course. But The relations between the coaching staff and the dressing room are worn out and the week, with the matches against Atlético and Villarreal, is decisive.
Setién assured on Monday that he had tried to “free my conscience”, but defended that there was no “noteworthy problem” with the squad. The meeting this Sunday, according to RAC, even ended in fraternization hugs. Some people want to compare this scenario as the one after the Anoeta storm. But there are too many differences from that distant 2015 in which there were footballers at the best moment of their career and a coach with an iron character. Soccer, however, always teaches incredible scenarios. Bartomeu tries to find desperate solutions, at least until the end of the season. A dismissal of Setién, after Abidal explained that the Cantabrian came to give a boost to the squad, would be a highlight of his mandate.