In the space of a week, FC Barcelona lost very big in the La Liga title race. The coach risks paying dearly.
Two poor performances that relegated the Catalan club to second place in the Spanish championship, two lengths from the new leader, Real Madrid, winner of Espanyol on Sunday evening (1-0). Double title holder in La Liga, the FCB will now have a hard time keeping their crown … Already because Zinédine Zidane’s Real Madrid seems unstoppable. But also and above all because the transplant with Quique Setien is being rejected on the side of Camp Nou. While the coronavirus break could have been beneficial in Barcelona, with in particular the return to shape of Luis Suarez, the situation is ultimately the same as in March. Since the recovery, Barça have won only three of their five games, and in difficulty. From now on, “It’s up to the coaches to solve the problems”, as Suarez launched at the weekend.
Except that Setien appears destitute. According to Marca, the 61-year-old coach “Is unable to resolve the situation and finds himself increasingly alone”, since he has lost the confidence of his locker room. During the matches, some players ignore it. And during training, same observation, with “A worrying lack of rhythm over many sessions”, the cloakroom heavyweights sometimes leaving the field with “The feeling of having wasted time”. Which therefore means that the divorce is real between Setien and his group… Aware of all this, President Josep Maria Bartomeu is now realizing that his bet is losing. Now it is clear that the future of the Spanish technician is threatened on the side of Barça. Consequently, and unless Barça wins the Champions League next August, Setien will be removed from office at the end of the season. To make room for Xavi or Pep Guardiola? The next few weeks promise to be once again hectic in Barcelona …
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