At Barca, Setien to lead the club he has long admired

Before a match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou more than a year ago, thenReal Betis coach Quique Setien asked Sergio Busquets for his game shirt.

He said he wanted it with a written dedication, so he could frame it. The Barca midfielder complied, later sending Setien an autographed jersey with the message: “For Quique, with love and admiration for your way of looking at football. All the best.”

Real Betis won that match 4-3 in November 2018, marking the last time a team defeated Barca at Camp Nou.

Setien was back at the famous stadium on Tuesday, more than 14 months later, to be officially introduced as the coach of Barca, the club that for so long inspired his vision of football. He signed a contract until 2022.

The 61-year-old Spaniard often tried to get his teams to mimic Barca’s ball-possession and attacking-minded style, and now he will get to do it himself at the Catalan club.

“I have really enjoyed watching this team and these players on TV over the last few years,” Setien said. “They made me enjoy football, game after game. I still don’t think I realise what it means to be sitting on the bench coaching the best player in the world and his team-mates.”

Setien said he immediately accepted the job when it was offered to him.

“I never thought Barcelona would hire me, he said. I don’t have a great curriculum. What I have is this philosophy that I love, but I didn’t know if that was going to be enough.”

Setien is replacing Ernesto Valverde, who was let go four days after a loss to Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup. Barca had also drawn three of their last four La Liga games.

Barca’s next game is Sunday at home against Granada in La Liga.

Setien led his first practice session in the morning before being officially introduced and giving his first news conference with the club.