Barcelona find Quique Setien’s replacement in France

Barcelona have been offered Quique Setien’s successor from France.

There is no doubt that Quique Setien will likely be replaced at the end of the current campaign after a disappointing half-season in Barcelona ever since Ernesto Valverde’s departure in January.

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Setien has truly been the unluckiest coach, to take control of a struggling Blaugrana who have been showered with a gruesome amount of injuries this season. The Spanish coach joined the club mid-January, and by the time he played his first two games at Camp Nou, the squad had suffered 29 injuries across 16 players within that campaign.

The only players who had escaped the injury list then were Sergio Busquets, Antoine Griezmann, and Frenkie de Jong, with the latter two being recently added to the injury list. Setien not only didn’t have the squad’s most needed players like Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele, and Jordi Alba, but he also had to improve a struggling and demotivated Spanish side.

There is no doubt that the 61-year-old along with his assistant, Eder Sarabia, has significantly improved the squad beyond Valverde’s XI but the thing that continues to haunts them is their inconsistency. The way the squad played against Villarreal was without a doubt one of their best performances in recent history, with many believing that playing like that could give them a strong chance at the Champions League glory.

But unfortunately, the squad failed to be consistent with their tactics which lost them their lead to eventually give Real Madrid the crown of Spanish Championship. While it remains to be seen whether club president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, holds onto Setien for the remaining Champions League fixtures or chooses to opt for another, they have already received an alternative’s offer.

While Sport revealed that Setien will remain the coach after the crucial meeting held between him and Bartomeu concluded on Friday, it is only until the match against Alaves, at which point another evaluation will be made as part of the preparation for the European glory.

Captain Lionel Messi, in a rare moment, spoke in a critical manner after the defeat against 11th place Osasuna, where the Argentine claimed that the defeat was a reflection of the entire season and the club have truly struggled since December, implying that Setien’s arrival has failed to improve anything.

"“This game represents the entire year. We have been an erratic and weak team, We need to take a breather, let some air in, and clean out minds of all that has happened since December.” Source Daily Mail."