After coaching the team which was thrashed by Bayern Munich 8-2 in the Champions League (the first time in 74 years that the club had conceded eight goals in a game), Quique Setien was dismissed from his managerial post in Barcelona. The year was 2020, and it took two years for the Spaniard to find a job again. After Unai Emery suddenly left Villarreal in order to take over Aston Villa, the club contacted Setien, who was preparing to go to the USA and he accepted to take the “Yellow submarine”. Quique Setién: “I’m not surprised by Barcelona’s situation. I expected it.” pic.twitter.com/B4yV0gN3zx— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) October 27, 2022 But after his managerial debut, a 2-2 draw against Hapoel in the Conference League, former Barca coach talked a bit more about his experience at Camp Nou. He revealed he should have left the club after only a month, before admitting he would do everything the same again (!), spoke about his relationship with Messi and money which Barcelona still owes him. “Barca was the team I had always dreamed of coaching, but if you see there are things you can’t change, you should leave. But it is an opportunity you have dreamed of forever. And arriving through one door and leaving through another the next month like Jose Antonio Camacho did at Real Madrid in 1998… There was a moment I thought about it, but you overcome those moments. If there are things that don’t fit, you should not be a hypocrite and you should go. When you arrive at a club that has been winning everything for 14 years… there are some habits that I had never seen. There are things you can’t change because they are so established and it is not an easy situation. It was a huge learning experience. I would do it again, without a doubt. You learn from everything to get better in the future” he told El Larguero after his first game in charge. Henry: ‘Volcano would erupt at Barca if they had another coach’Apart from not producing great results at Camp Nou, Quique Setien will also be remembered as somebody who didn’t get along with world’s best footballer – Lionel Messi. The Spaniard never wanted to talk about it, and he chose words when asked about the Argentinian again. “It is not worth speaking about Messi. Everyone should remember how he has been, for me, a permanent attraction in football for 14 years. I spent 14 years watching Barca’s games waiting to play against him to be able to see him live. That is how I want to remember Messi. I can’t say if he disappointed me. There are things I liked and others that I didn’t and I had to fight with that. If on top of that he scored three goals against you in every game, you can’t say anything. There are always players that can be harder to deal with that you make certain allowances for” said Setien. “If we don’t win, another coach will come instead of me’The Spanish tactician also revealed that he was to sue Barcelona over the money they still owe him, but they are now paying their dues regularly and he is fine with that. He is focusing on his new job”Barcelona still owe me money but they are complying with the schedule religiously. I gave them three years to pay me and they are doing so. I was not convinced I would get an opportunity somewhere where I could fit. I have had offers, but nothing really appealed to me. I could have gone to the United States, I am attracted by the county, but then I got the surprise call to come here” said Setien. ##NAJAVA_MECA_6767671##
