Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has bluntly confirmed that manager Quique Setien has been sacked, with an official confirmation expected in the coming hours.
The Spaniard endured a difficult end to the season, seeing Barcelona surrender the La Liga title to rivals Real Madrid, but Bartomeu has come out and publicly insisted Setien will be given another season to redeem himself. .
?last minute?
Bartomeu to @victor_nahe:
?️”Setién is out”.
The president has left the meeting with Abdal and the planes at the club offices. pic.twitter.com/OCfy0uaxeu
— Gametime (@tjcope) August 16, 2020
However, that was before a humiliating 8-2 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich, after which there were reports that Setien’s days at the Camp Nou were numbered.
It looks like Setién’s time may be up as Bartomeu only told COPE that ‘Setién is out’, but refused to elaborate on what’s next for the club.
His departure has yet to be officially confirmed by Barcelona, but an announcement is now expected in the coming hours to finalize the end of Setien’s nightmare at the Camp Nou.
An 8-2 defeat to Bayern was the final straw / Poll / Getty Images
Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has recently been described as the front-runner to replace Setien, with Mauricio Pochettino, Xavi and Massimiliano Allegri also named as possible options for La Blaugrana. .
Regarding Koeman, Mundo Deportivo say he is close to agreeing a two-year deal to take over at the club, and do not expect a clause in Koeman’s contract to take him away from the Netherlands national team. goes .
Barcelona have also been rocked by rumors that Lionel Messi is determined to leave the club – a revelation that some saw as a bid to pressure Bartomeu to bring the 2021 presidential election forward a year and end his term. The tactic has been declared.
Bartomeu was asked if such a decision could be made, but urged fans to wait until after an emergency board meeting, which will take place on Monday morning and will include discussions on whether How can the club recover from such a damaging few days?
Bartomeu has been urged to move away from the club / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
The current president is hardly the most popular figure among fans and players, with many keen to see him go in 2021. With the expensive signings of Ousmane Dembélé, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine, their transfer strategy has come into question on several occasions. Griezmann under the microscope.
Xavi has previously indicated that he would only be open to a return to the club once the elections are held, and if Barcelona are determined to land the former midfielder, they have Bartomeu’s time at the club this summer. There will be no choice but to terminate. .
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