Official: Setién, dismissed as Barça coach

Barça announced this Monday, through the club's television channel, the dismissal of Quique Setién as Barça coach. The Cantabrian, who ate with the sports director, Eric Abidal, has only lasted seven months at the club despite having a contract until 2022, although in 2021 the new outgoing president in the elections could break the contract. Setién goes through the back door of Barça, with a very weak record of 16 victories, three draws and five very tough defeats: in Valencia, Madrid, Bilbao, against Osasuna in LaLiga and in Lisbon.

The club's statement reads as follows:

“The Board of Directors has agreed that Quique Setién ceases to be the coach of the first team. is the first decision in the framework of a comprehensive restructuring of the first team, which will be done from the consensus between the current technical secretariat and the new technician, which will be announced in the coming days.

Quique Setién came to the Barça bench on January 13. During these seven months, the Cantabrian coach has led the Barça team in 25 games: 19 in the League, three in the Champions League and three in the Cup.

The total balance of results that he has registered is 16 victories, four draws and five defeats. “

Setién, an emergency solution whom Barça called while he was calmly in his native Cantabria, found an opportunity that he could never wait and that he has not taken advantage of. Signed, according to Abidal, to give a “boost” to the team when it came from winning two leagues with Valverde, he did not lift the team at all and, on the contrary, he is the first coach since 2008 to leave without winning a title.

The relationship with Setién's squad and his assistant, Eder Sarabia, was not fluid. His message did not get through at any time and he was being cornered by the players, who took command of the operations. They rejected their first system change and returned to the drawing they practiced with Valverde. The defeats against Valencia and Madrid in the league generated a couple of crises in the dressing room, although the storm broke out after the fall against Osasuna. Then, Setién was on the verge of being dismissed and of not facing the Champions League as coach of Barça. After a meeting with Messi, he held on in office. His dream, to walk with the Champions League among the cows, ended in a nightmare with a 2-8 with which both he and the players will have to carry throughout his career.