Barcelona unveil Quique Setien as new coach
Setien, 61, coached Real Betis last season but left by mutual consent
(Web Desk) - FC Barcelona unveiled former Real Betis coach Quique Setien as the club’s new coach on Tuesday (January 14) after the Catalan have sacked Ernesto Valverde.
Setien said not even in his best dreams could he have pictured himself as the Barcelona coach and praised the work of his predecessor Valverde.
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 soccer and attacking gameplan, which suits the way Barcelona were known for playing in the iconic Pep Guardiola era.
Barcelona lead the standings on 40 points, ahead of second-placed Real Madrid on goal difference and are also into the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Napoli.
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
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 last week.
