Barcelona have sacked Quique Setien as coach, the club confirmed on Monday, with Ronald Koeman the frontrunner to be his replacement.

"The new coach will be announced in the coming days as part of a wide ranging restructuring of the first team," Barca said on Twitter.

Setien was only appointed in January but has paid the price for Barca surrendering the La Liga title to Real Madrid and then being humiliated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

His exit was finalised during an emergency board meeting at Camp Nou, which lasted almost six hours and saw Koeman emerge as the favoured choice to take charge.&nbsp;

The club also announced next year's presidential elections, scheduled for June, will be brought forward to March 15.&nbsp;

Angry supporters had hoped they would be held immediately but that possibility was ruled out, meaning under-fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu will continue.

"After analysing all the options, the Board considers that this (March 15) is the most viable date for holding these elections," the statement continued.&nbsp;

"The Board understands that the immediate call for elections is not feasible considering the league will begin on the weekend of September 12 and due to the economic and social framework caused by the Covid-19 crisis."&nbsp;

Setien's successor will still be under pressure to deliver quickly given a new board next year could install their own coach, with Xavi Hernandez linking himself to rival presidential candidate Victor Font.&nbsp;

Koeman has been in charge of the Dutch national team since 2018 and is due to lead them at the postponed European Championship next year and the World Cup in 2022.&nbsp;

Mauricio Pochettino was also considered but his previous comments dismissing Barca due to his links with rivals Espanyol have counted against him.&nbsp;

Koeman and his agent were negotiating a two-year contract on Monday night, according to reports in Spain, with the second year dependent on the outcome of the presidential elections.&nbsp;

He enjoys hero-status at Barcelona after starring for them as a player under Johan Cruyff and scoring the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final.&nbsp;

But his coaching career has been mixed and he would arrive at a club in crisis, with one of his first tasks to persuade captain Lionel Messi not to depart.&nbsp;

<h2>- Messi future uncertain -</h2>

Shortly before the board meeting began on Monday, sources at Barcelona insisted the club had not heard anything from Messi about wanting to leave.&nbsp;

But the 33-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated in recent months and a report from Esporte Interativo on Sunday claimed he has made up his mind to find a new club this summer.&nbsp;

Gerard Pique said he would depart if it was necessary and it remains to be seen which players are considered surplus to requirements.&nbsp;

Any recovery might be focused on youth, with Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig and Frenkie de Jong leading the next generation.&nbsp;

Koeman will know the scale of the challenge at Barcelona, where an ageing team ended up lost under Setien, who failed to convince the players of his methods.&nbsp;

Setien oversaw 16 wins, four draws and five defeats from his 25 games in charge.&nbsp;

Despite the occasional high-scoring win and some eye-catching spells of the possession football he craves, Barcelona were also ponderous, disjointed and defensively weak.&nbsp;

Before the three-month suspension, they lost the Clasico to Real Madrid and after it, they drew against Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid.&nbsp;

After defeat by Osasuna effectively handed Madrid the title, Messi vented his frustration, pointedly saying the team had been a mess since January, which was when Setien was appointed.&nbsp;

Setien, meanwhile, admitted he had never managed a dressing room like Barca's and few place the blame for the club's decline at his feet.&nbsp;

Most of the fans' fury is directed at Bartomeu and the board, who have alienated the dressing room and made too many mistakes in the transfer market.&nbsp;

There was no mention of sporting director Eric Abidal in the club's statements and it appears he will continue for now.&nbsp;

Abidal drew public criticism from Messi in February after suggesting the players were responsible for the sacking of Ernesto Valverde. He is also believed to have been key to the appointment of Setien.&nbsp;

Barcelona have sacked Quique Setien as coach, the club confirmed on Monday, with Ronald Koeman the frontrunner to be his replacement. "The new coach will be announced in the coming days as part of a wide ranging restructuring of the first team," Barca said on Twitter.

Barcelona have sacked Quique Setien as coach, the club confirmed on Monday, with Ronald Koeman the frontrunner to be his replacement. "The new coach will be announced in the coming days as part of a wide ranging restructuring of the first team," Barca said on Twitter. Setien was only appointed in January but has paid the price for Barca surrendering the La Liga title to Real Madrid and then being humiliated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. His exit was finalised during an emergency board meeting at Camp Nou, which lasted almost six hours and saw Koeman emerge as the favoured choice to take charge. The club also announced next year's presidential elections, scheduled for June, will be brought forward to March 15. Angry supporters had hoped they would be held immediately but that possibility was ruled out, meaning under-fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu will continue. "After analysing all the options, the Board considers that this (March 15) is the most viable date for holding these elections," the statement continued. "The Board understands that the immediate call for elections is not feasible considering the league will begin on the weekend of September 12 and due to the economic and social framework caused by the Covid-19 crisis." Setien's successor will still be under pressure to deliver quickly given a new board next year could install their own coach, with Xavi Hernandez linking himself to rival presidential candidate Victor Font. Koeman has been in charge of the Dutch national team since 2018 and is due to lead them at the postponed European Championship next year and the World Cup in 2022. Mauricio Pochettino was also considered but his previous comments dismissing Barca due to his links with rivals Espanyol have counted against him. Koeman and his agent were negotiating a two-year contract on Monday night, according to reports in Spain, with the second year dependent on the outcome of the presidential elections. He enjoys hero-status at Barcelona after starring for them as a player under Johan Cruyff and scoring the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final. But his coaching career has been mixed and he would arrive at a club in crisis, with one of his first tasks to persuade captain Lionel Messi not to depart. - Messi future uncertain - Shortly before the board meeting began on Monday, sources at Barcelona insisted the club had not heard anything from Messi about wanting to leave. But the 33-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated in recent months and a report from Esporte Interativo on Sunday claimed he has made up his mind to find a new club this summer. Gerard Pique said he would depart if it was necessary and it remains to be seen which players are considered surplus to requirements. Any recovery might be focused on youth, with Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig and Frenkie de Jong leading the next generation. Koeman will know the scale of the challenge at Barcelona, where an ageing team ended up lost under Setien, who failed to convince the players of his methods. Setien oversaw 16 wins, four draws and five defeats from his 25 games in charge. Despite the occasional high-scoring win and some eye-catching spells of the possession football he craves, Barcelona were also ponderous, disjointed and defensively weak. Before the three-month suspension, they lost the Clasico to Real Madrid and after it, they drew against Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid. After defeat by Osasuna effectively handed Madrid the title, Messi vented his frustration, pointedly saying the team had been a mess since January, which was when Setien was appointed. Setien, meanwhile, admitted he had never managed a dressing room like Barca's and few place the blame for the club's decline at his feet. Most of the fans' fury is directed at Bartomeu and the board, who have alienated the dressing room and made too many mistakes in the transfer market. There was no mention of sporting director Eric Abidal in the club's statements and it appears he will continue for now. Abidal drew public criticism from Messi in February after suggesting the players were responsible for the sacking of Ernesto Valverde. He is also believed to have been key to the appointment of Setien.

Barcelona sack Setien, Koeman favourite to take charge

Barcelona's new manager: Here's the list of top targets to succeed Quique Setien

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has confirmed that manager Quique Setien will be sacked following Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/uefa-champions-league">UEFA Champions League</a> quarter-final at Lisbon, Portugal. With Lionel Messi reportedly ready to leave the Spanish club, Barcelona board has taken the first step to keep the Argentine in the club, by sacking Setien.&nbsp;

It was the first time since 1992 that Barcelona had conceded more than five goals in Champions League and the worst defeat of Messi’s trophy-laden career. Messi was even pictured sitting alone with dropped shoulders in the Barcelona dressing room following the drubbing against the German giants.

An emergency meeting was called with Bartomeu confirming to COPE on Sunday night that “Setien is out”. While there has been no official announcement from Barcelona yet, it is inevitable that the club will have a new manager soon.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/psgs-navas-out-of-leipzig-champions-league-semi-final-321105" hreflang="en">PSG's Navas out of Leipzig Champions League semi-final</a>

As per reports, Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and Xavi are among the top candidates to take over at the Camp Nou. &nbsp;

While there are still question marks over Pochettino due to his past links with rivals Espanyol, Koeman has emerged has favourites to be Setien’s successor.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atleticos-new-era-brings-familiar-failings-as-simeone-doubts-return-320533" hreflang="en">Atletico's new era brings familiar failings as Simeone doubts return</a>

Not only Champions League but Barcelona lost out the La Liga title to Real Madrid despite leading the points table at one point in time during the 2019-20 season. However, sluggish performances and underwhelming results allowed Real Madrid to topple the Catalunya club and lift the coveted trophy.

However, the Champions League humiliation to Bayern Munich was the final nail in the coffin for Barcelona and Setien, who is now set to his job. For Barcelona, the rebuilding must start now.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has confirmed that manager Quique Setien will be sacked following Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Lisbon, Portugal.

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has confirmed that manager Quique Setien will be sacked following Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Lisbon, Portugal. With Lionel Messi reportedly ready to leave the Spanish club, Barcelona board has taken the first step to keep the Argentine in the club, by sacking Setien. It was the first time since 1992 that Barcelona had conceded more than five goals in Champions League and the worst defeat of Messi’s trophy-laden career. Messi was even pictured sitting alone with dropped shoulders in the Barcelona dressing room following the drubbing against the German giants. An emergency meeting was called with Bartomeu confirming to COPE on Sunday night that “Setien is out”. While there has been no official announcement from Barcelona yet, it is inevitable that the club will have a new manager soon. ALSO READ: PSG's Navas out of Leipzig Champions League semi-final As per reports, Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and Xavi are among the top candidates to take over at the Camp Nou. While there are still question marks over Pochettino due to his past links with rivals Espanyol, Koeman has emerged has favourites to be Setien’s successor. ALSO READ: Atletico's new era brings familiar failings as Simeone doubts return Not only Champions League but Barcelona lost out the La Liga title to Real Madrid despite leading the points table at one point in time during the 2019-20 season. However, sluggish performances and underwhelming results allowed Real Madrid to topple the Catalunya club and lift the coveted trophy. However, the Champions League humiliation to Bayern Munich was the final nail in the coffin for Barcelona and Setien, who is now set to his job. For Barcelona, the rebuilding must start now.

Barcelona set to sack Quique Setien after Bayern Munich humiliation

Barcelona's worst ever defeat in Europe, an 8-2 mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich, will signal the end of Quique Setien as coach but it feels like the end of more than that.&nbsp;

Setien may not even survive the weekend but the fact a second sacking in eight months would be the least of Barca's worries says it all.&nbsp;

"It's too soon to say if I will continue or not and it doesn't depend on me," said Setien.

"The club needs changes," said Gerard Pique. "Nobody is untouchable, least of all me. Fresh blood is needed to change this. We've hit rock bottom."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-cant-compare-lewandowski-and-messi-bayern-boss-flick-320410">Also read:&nbsp;'You can't compare Lewandowski and Messi' - Bayern boss Flick</a>

Lionel Messi was supposed to win it alone, the Argentinian charged with somehow masking the failings of an entire club against the most formidable team in Europe.&nbsp;

It was a desperate hope, swiftly dashed by a ruthless Bayern side, whose demolition exposed Barcelona's ageing team for what Messi has been saying all along: they are simply not good enough.&nbsp;

He said it in February and again in July, when a rant in the aftermath of handing Real Madrid the title turned into a brutal, but honest, assessment of their season.&nbsp;

Messi saw the fall coming but it was too late to do anything about it and the question now is whether he wants to be part of the process of recovery and renewal.&nbsp;

Most have assumed it would take something cataclysmic for Messi to leave but at an elite football club, what could be worse than this?&nbsp;

This was more painful than the capitulations against Roma and Liverpool, when carelessness and fragility deprived Barcelona of a genuine chance to lift the Champions League trophy.&nbsp;

But they were shocks because Barca were contenders. This time, nobody expected them to beat Bayern. Many expected a thrashing but few could have predicted the severity of it.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-sign-willian-on-free-transfer-320476">Also read:&nbsp;Arsenal sign Willian on free transfer</a>

The humiliations started in the fourth minute and kept coming until the 89th.&nbsp;

They began even before kick-off when the starting line-ups were announced, with three Barca signings bought for more than 100 million euros each all sitting on the bench.&nbsp;

One of them, Philippe Coutinho, was on Bayern's bench and he came on to score twice against his parent club, the first even seemingly with reluctance. &nbsp;

Brave decisions await 
Messi, at 33, knows his end is near but he will choose when it comes. Others may not be so lucky, with Pique and Luis Suarez also 33 and Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba 31.&nbsp;

All of them have played a part in Barca's golden era but that era feels a long time ago now and if this team is to regenerate, brave decisions will have to be made.&nbsp;

Frenkie de Jong, Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig are the future, smothered this season by the failures of those ahead of them and perhaps ready to be trusted to lead.&nbsp;

If it's the end of an era for Barcelona, it is for Spain too. The national team may have long been overtaken but Messi kept Barca challenging while the Champions League became the kingdom of Real Madrid.

Not anymore, this the first year since 2007 that the semi-finals will be without a Spanish club, and the first since 2005 without either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.&nbsp;

Who will lead the Barca revolution remains to be seen, with Xavi Hernandez, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman all sufficiently put off that they rejected the chance in January. Will they be any keener now?&nbsp;

Barcelona will not have the money to make big additions, meaning they may have to look within.&nbsp;

But that would be a long-term project, which the club cannot guarantee either given their presidential elections are due in 2021. A new regime could well bring a new coach too.&nbsp;

A year might even feel like a long time for the current president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who would not rule out the elections being brought forward on Friday.&nbsp;

"Today was a disaster," he said. "Some decisions we had already thought to take and others we will think about in the next few days."

Since 2014, his board have stumbled from blunder to blunder, all the while alienating the dressing room and driving this period of chaos and decline.&nbsp;

It began with Neymar leaving and never being replaced, the frantic attempts to bring him back then failing because the funds had been squandered elsewhere.&nbsp;

And it ended with a public humiliation that Messi saw coming. It had been coming for a long time.

Barcelona's worst ever defeat in Europe, an 8-2 mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich, will signal the end of Quique Setien as coach but it feels like the end of more than that.

Barcelona's worst ever defeat in Europe, an 8-2 mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich, will signal the end of Quique Setien as coach but it feels like the end of more than that. Setien may not even survive the weekend but the fact a second sacking in eight months would be the least of Barca's worries says it all. "It's too soon to say if I will continue or not and it doesn't depend on me," said Setien. "The club needs changes," said Gerard Pique. "Nobody is untouchable, least of all me. Fresh blood is needed to change this. We've hit rock bottom." Also read: 'You can't compare Lewandowski and Messi' - Bayern boss Flick Lionel Messi was supposed to win it alone, the Argentinian charged with somehow masking the failings of an entire club against the most formidable team in Europe. It was a desperate hope, swiftly dashed by a ruthless Bayern side, whose demolition exposed Barcelona's ageing team for what Messi has been saying all along: they are simply not good enough. He said it in February and again in July, when a rant in the aftermath of handing Real Madrid the title turned into a brutal, but honest, assessment of their season. Messi saw the fall coming but it was too late to do anything about it and the question now is whether he wants to be part of the process of recovery and renewal. Most have assumed it would take something cataclysmic for Messi to leave but at an elite football club, what could be worse than this? This was more painful than the capitulations against Roma and Liverpool, when carelessness and fragility deprived Barcelona of a genuine chance to lift the Champions League trophy. But they were shocks because Barca were contenders. This time, nobody expected them to beat Bayern. Many expected a thrashing but few could have predicted the severity of it. Also read: Arsenal sign Willian on free transfer The humiliations started in the fourth minute and kept coming until the 89th. They began even before kick-off when the starting line-ups were announced, with three Barca signings bought for more than 100 million euros each all sitting on the bench. One of them, Philippe Coutinho, was on Bayern's bench and he came on to score twice against his parent club, the first even seemingly with reluctance. Brave decisions await Messi, at 33, knows his end is near but he will choose when it comes. Others may not be so lucky, with Pique and Luis Suarez also 33 and Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba 31. All of them have played a part in Barca's golden era but that era feels a long time ago now and if this team is to regenerate, brave decisions will have to be made. Frenkie de Jong, Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig are the future, smothered this season by the failures of those ahead of them and perhaps ready to be trusted to lead. If it's the end of an era for Barcelona, it is for Spain too. The national team may have long been overtaken but Messi kept Barca challenging while the Champions League became the kingdom of Real Madrid. Not anymore, this the first year since 2007 that the semi-finals will be without a Spanish club, and the first since 2005 without either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Who will lead the Barca revolution remains to be seen, with Xavi Hernandez, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman all sufficiently put off that they rejected the chance in January. Will they be any keener now? Barcelona will not have the money to make big additions, meaning they may have to look within. But that would be a long-term project, which the club cannot guarantee either given their presidential elections are due in 2021. A new regime could well bring a new coach too. A year might even feel like a long time for the current president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who would not rule out the elections being brought forward on Friday. "Today was a disaster," he said. "Some decisions we had already thought to take and others we will think about in the next few days." Since 2014, his board have stumbled from blunder to blunder, all the while alienating the dressing room and driving this period of chaos and decline. It began with Neymar leaving and never being replaced, the frantic attempts to bring him back then failing because the funds had been squandered elsewhere. And it ended with a public humiliation that Messi saw coming. It had been coming for a long time.

End of an era as Barca humiliation makes revolution the only option

Barcelona are set to sack manager Quique Setien after the completion of 2019-20 season unless the Catalan club experiences a dramatic change in fortune. Setien was hired in January after the removal of Ernesto Valverde but has struggled to manage the Barcelona dressing room full of superstars. The Barcelona board is also irked by the recent dip in form.

According to reports, Setien will lose his job should Barca fail to defend the La Liga or lose out in Champions League in the coming months. The 61-year-old was handed a two-and-a-half-year contract earlier in 2020.&nbsp;

The former Real Betis coach seems to have lost the dressing room where megastars hold a notable influence. It is even reported that players have been left confused by his tactics and handling of players. Setien’s assistant – Eder Sarabia – is also reportedly an unpopular figure within the squad.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-great-ian-botham-claims-he-had-covid-19-but-mistook-virus-for-bad-flu-309450" hreflang="en">England great Ian Botham claims he had COVID-19 but mistook virus for 'bad flu'</a>

A video clip of Lionel Messi openly ignoring instructions from Sarabia during Barcelona’s 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo went viral which fueled speculations that all is not well within the Barca squad. Reportedly, there was a heated dressing room bust-up after the game as Real Madrid took a two-point lead in the La Liga race with just six games remaining.

However, Setien could manage to hold on to his job given Barcelona lift both La Liga and UCL.

It is believed that former midfielder Xavi is leading to take over the charge from Setien. Barcelona B team boss Xavi Garcia Pimienta is touted to be another replacement for Setien.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/klopp-admonishes-liverpool-fans-after-chaotic-celebrations-309388" hreflang="en">Klopp admonishes Liverpool fans after chaotic celebrations</a>

Barcelona looked lacklustre in their 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo. Nolito had a clear chance to win it for Celta in the dying minutes for the Spanish forward failed to convert the chance to hand a defeat to Barca. 
&nbsp;

Barcelona are set to sack manager Quique Setien after the completion of 2019-20 season unless the Catalan club experiences a dramatic change in fortune. Setien was hired in January after the removal of Ernesto Valverde but has struggled to manage the Barcelona dressing room full of superstars.

Barcelona are set to sack manager Quique Setien after the completion of 2019-20 season unless the Catalan club experiences a dramatic change in fortune. Setien was hired in January after the removal of Ernesto Valverde but has struggled to manage the Barcelona dressing room full of superstars. The Barcelona board is also irked by the recent dip in form. According to reports, Setien will lose his job should Barca fail to defend the La Liga or lose out in Champions League in the coming months. The 61-year-old was handed a two-and-a-half-year contract earlier in 2020. The former Real Betis coach seems to have lost the dressing room where megastars hold a notable influence. It is even reported that players have been left confused by his tactics and handling of players. Setien’s assistant – Eder Sarabia – is also reportedly an unpopular figure within the squad. ALSO READ: England great Ian Botham claims he had COVID-19 but mistook virus for 'bad flu' A video clip of Lionel Messi openly ignoring instructions from Sarabia during Barcelona’s 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo went viral which fueled speculations that all is not well within the Barca squad. Reportedly, there was a heated dressing room bust-up after the game as Real Madrid took a two-point lead in the La Liga race with just six games remaining. However, Setien could manage to hold on to his job given Barcelona lift both La Liga and UCL. It is believed that former midfielder Xavi is leading to take over the charge from Setien. Barcelona B team boss Xavi Garcia Pimienta is touted to be another replacement for Setien. ALSO READ: Klopp admonishes Liverpool fans after chaotic celebrations Barcelona looked lacklustre in their 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo. Nolito had a clear chance to win it for Celta in the dying minutes for the Spanish forward failed to convert the chance to hand a defeat to Barca.

Quique Setien's job in danger as Barcelona continue to disappoint

Ernesto Valverde has been sacked by FC Barcelona after underperforming&nbsp;in the matches recently. Quique Setien fills in the position for the table-toppers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/xavi-says-would-be-dream-to-coach-barca-as-pressure-mounts-on-valverde-273721">Xavi says would be 'dream' to coach Barca as pressure mounts on Valverde</a>

This decision came in after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../spanish-super-cup-atletico-madrid-beat-fc- barcelona-exciting-game-play-ends-with-nail-biting-finish-273311">Barcelona</a> crashed out of Spanish Super Cup after a disappointing match against Atletico Madrid. Despite being on the top of the La Liga table, and being safely through to the Champions League Round of 16, where are set to face Napoli. Barca have not yet managed to secure a win in 2020.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/real-beat-atletico-on-penalties-to-win-11th-spanish-super-cup-273840">Real Madrid defeat Atletico Madrid on penalties to lift 11th Spanish Super Cup</a>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Agreement between FC Barcelona and Ernesto Valverde to end his contract as manager of the first team. Thank you for everything, Ernesto. Best of luck in the future. <a href="https://t.co/zrIgB1sW2e">pic.twitter.com/zrIgB1sW2e</a>
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/1216846220578230273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Speculations of Valverde being sacked were making rounds for quite a long time. Barcelona played a 2-2 draw against LaLiga's bottom club Espanyol which helped their arch-rivals Real Madrid close in to topple the table toppers.&nbsp;

At the moment Barcelona and Real Madrid are the top 2 on the points table. They share the same points (40 points), but the Catalans (Barcelona) are ahead because of the goal difference.

Barcelona have not managed to win the Champions League for four years. The last time they won was against Juventus 3-1 in the year 2015.&nbsp;

In 2017 Valverde did pull of a double when Barcelona won the league (La Liga) and the Spanish Super Cup.&nbsp;

Former Real Betis boss Setien, is a well-known fan of the Johan Cruyff-inspired Barcá brand of football. On Tuesday, Bartomeu and Abidal are to call a press conference to unveil Setien as the new Barcelona head coach.

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Quique Setién will be the new manager of FC Barcelona. Welcome! 
 
➕ INFO <a href="https://t.co/EOP9MSFFJ1">https://t.co/EOP9MSFFJ1</a> <a href="https://t.co/IkhzFGyxHf">pic.twitter.com/IkhzFGyxHf</a>
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/1216850196090454016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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FC Barcelona legend, Xavi Hernandez was rumoured to be the official successor, in-fact Barcelona were in talks with him for the role. But the Spaniard declined the offer.&nbsp;

He expressed his desire to coach his former team but has decided to put the plans on hold for at least a season.

The 61-year-old is set to face his first challenge as Barcelona will be playing against Granada on January 20. 
&nbsp;

Ernesto Valverde has been sacked by FC Barcelona after underperforming in the matches recently. Quique Setien fills in the position for the table-toppers. Also read: Xavi says would be 'dream' to coach Barca as pressure mounts on Valverde This decision came in after Barcelona crashed out of Spanish Super Cup after a disappointing match against Atletico Madrid.

Ernesto Valverde has been sacked by FC Barcelona after underperforming in the matches recently. Quique Setien fills in the position for the table-toppers. Also read: Xavi says would be 'dream' to coach Barca as pressure mounts on Valverde This decision came in after Barcelona crashed out of Spanish Super Cup after a disappointing match against Atletico Madrid. Despite being on the top of the La Liga table, and being safely through to the Champions League Round of 16, where are set to face Napoli. Barca have not yet managed to secure a win in 2020. Also read: Real Madrid defeat Atletico Madrid on penalties to lift 11th Spanish Super Cup Agreement between FC Barcelona and Ernesto Valverde to end his contract as manager of the first team. Thank you for everything, Ernesto. Best of luck in the future. pic.twitter.com/zrIgB1sW2e — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 13, 2020 × Speculations of Valverde being sacked were making rounds for quite a long time. Barcelona played a 2-2 draw against LaLiga's bottom club Espanyol which helped their arch-rivals Real Madrid close in to topple the table toppers. At the moment Barcelona and Real Madrid are the top 2 on the points table. They share the same points (40 points), but the Catalans (Barcelona) are ahead because of the goal difference. Barcelona have not managed to win the Champions League for four years. The last time they won was against Juventus 3-1 in the year 2015. In 2017 Valverde did pull of a double when Barcelona won the league (La Liga) and the Spanish Super Cup. Former Real Betis boss Setien, is a well-known fan of the Johan Cruyff-inspired Barcá brand of football. On Tuesday, Bartomeu and Abidal are to call a press conference to unveil Setien as the new Barcelona head coach. Quique Setién will be the new manager of FC Barcelona. Welcome! ➕ INFO https://t.co/EOP9MSFFJ1 pic.twitter.com/IkhzFGyxHf — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 13, 2020 × FC Barcelona legend, Xavi Hernandez was rumoured to be the official successor, in-fact Barcelona were in talks with him for the role. But the Spaniard declined the offer. He expressed his desire to coach his former team but has decided to put the plans on hold for at least a season. The 61-year-old is set to face his first challenge as Barcelona will be playing against Granada on January 20.

Barcelona sack manager Valverde, Setien to step in for the role

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