By David Awopetu
Barcelona announced on Monday that Quique Setien has been sacked following Friday’s embarrassing 8-2 Champions League humiliation at the hands of German Champions, Bayern Munich.
The former Real Betis manager, Setien, 61, was appointed in January and took charge for just 25 matches.
The Spaniard took over from Ernesto Valverde but the disappointing results and a dressing room rift have been the deciding factors in his departure.
After surrendering the LaLiga Santander title to Real Madrid and going out of the Copa del Rey to Athletic Club, the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
A Barcelona statement read, “This is the first decision within a wider restructuring of the first team, which will be agreed between the current technical secretary and the new coach, who will be announced in the coming days.”
Netherlands manager, Ronald Koeman, who played for the Catalan giants between 1989 and 1995, has been heavily tipped to replace Setien at the Nou Camp.
Barca’s thrashing by German champions Bayern on Friday was the fourth time in the past five years they have been knocked out at the quarter-final stage of Europe’s elite competition.
Setien had said, after the defeat, that it was “time for us to review and take the decisions which are needed for the future.”
Barcelona announced next year’s presidential elections, scheduled for June, will be brought forward to March 15.
Barca defender, Gerard Pique, said he would be the “first to leave” if the club wished to make changes.
