Ex-Barcelona and Villarreal manager Quique Setien has spoken out against both clubs for their poor behaviour after dismissing him in his last two jobs.
Setien was sacked in 2020 as manager of Barcelona just seven months into a two-year deal, and revealed that only the threat of court action forced them to pay him what he was due.
“In principle I was not going to go to this meeting. In the end you have no choice but to go to court. Five days before the trial I was able to arrange an agreement with Barcelona. 16 months later we reached an agreement, but asked me to give up some of the money and I was not willing to. They are strictly complying with the payments, but they will finish paying me three years after having coached Barca.”
Setien continued on to note that his case was just one of many in a trend amongst managers in Spain.
“For many it has been an absolute surprise. I don’t know how many coaches have exposed their particular cases, perhaps between 10 or 12 or 14 coaches from the First and Second Division. Those who have not resolved the problem have had to fix it, conditioned by the slowness of justice.”
Setien was not just disappointed with Barcelona’s behaviour off the pitch, as heard on Cadena SER.
“I always like Barca’s idea. It is true that right now they are not in a good moment and they are lacking inspiration. I have congratulated Michel because he is playing extraordinary football and doing geat work. I told him that I would love for him to win La Liga, I would be very happy for him and for football.”
He also criticised some of the leaks that have reached the press in the aftermath of the
“I didn’t like the call from the club’s general director telling me what was going to happen [he’d be sacked] much. That already seemed regrettable to me, but well, I’m used to many things that have happened to me, both as a player and as a coach. It’s no longer about not having to pay you, but to discredit you and expose you when this does not happen. I have a lot of respect for Villarreal.”
Tensions were reportedly high between the managers and the RFEF, with Carlo Ancelotti angrily walking out of the facilities, calling it ‘a mess’. Setien did say that he was optimistic about the chances of change, and did not believe the atmosphere was bad.
