Barcelona have appointed Quique Setien as the successor to Ernesto Valverde after their loss to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup.
Barcelona have reached an agreement with Quique Setien to become the first team manager until June 2022, and he had his first press conference today where the new coach was officially presented.
Many managers dream of coming to the Nou Camp and rightfully so, this was the 61-year-old’s reaction to becoming the new coach for Blaugrana.
“Yesterday I was walking along with the cows in my hometown and now i am at Barcelona managing the best players in the world. I want to thank this institution for giving me the change. Not even in my wildest dreams could i have imagined this. I have to thank the club.”
Source Daily Mail
Following the defeat in the Spanish Super Cup to Atletico Madrid, the Catalan board pushed firmly to finalize a deal with former midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez, offering the Spaniard a 2.5-year contract including the idea of starting immediately. The Al-Sadd manager rejected this idea as he did not want to join mid-season along with pending endeavors with his Qatar side.
After many names linked with the Spanish club over the past few days, Barca finally approached the former Real Betis manager, Setien, who had this to say about his new appointment,
“I don’t have an extensive CV, I don’t have trophies, but I have shown what my philosophy is, how my team plays. I am grateful to be given this huge opportunity”
Source Standard
Millions of Barca fans around the world were frustrated with Ernesto Valverde not only because of the poor results in consecutive Champions League campaigns but also due to the fact that even in victories, his squad lacked an identity.
The Blaugrana way is reputed around the world for its “total football” philosophy made popular by legendary player and coach, Johan Cruff. Valverde’s side clearly lacked this identity which was one of the reasons why Barca decided to appoint Setien who has publically voiced his passion for the Cruffian Philosophy.
With this appointment, Barca could see a change in the squad, especially in the formation due to the recent injury to Luis Suarez and the ongoing recovery of Ousmane Dembele and Arthur Melo. With many worrying about the fate of the club during their second half of this campaign, this is what the new coach had to say,
“The important thing is the philosophy, to be clear what we are playing at. It’s possible we will assess at some point a change with respect to the 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 which has been used lately.”
He has also spoken about his desire to use the talented La Masia players in order to achieve a similar glory which was obtained by the legendary La Masia graduates during the Guardiola era, and that he is not afraid to remove any first-team players who are underperforming.
“This team has an extraordinary academy. I don’t know in depth the players of the youth team yet, but the academy players will be training and participating with us. First team players must know that the talented kids will get the change if they deserve it. The first team players cannot relax. That must be Clear.”
Setien believes that the best way to achieve victories is to play well while having a solid philosophy,
“My objective is to win everything I can win. There is no other path but to improve every year and achieve the maximum amount of trophies possible, as well as playing well. The best route to victory is playing well. It’s important to associate that.”
This could be a delight for the Cules, who have missed the former style with which their beloved club used to play. Now, those millions of fans are eagerly waiting for Barca’s next phase under the new coach. We can see the Setien’s squad in action in their fixture against Granada on the 20th of January, where fans are hoping to see Blaugrana play with the philosophy and style of legendary managers like Johan Cruff, Pep Guardiola, and Luis Enrique.
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