Barcelona signed in Quique Setién as its new coach

FC Barcelona has signed an agreement with Quique Setién to become the lead coach until June 30, 2022.

Quique Setién, 61 year replaces Ernesto Valverde. He is from Cantabria in the north of Spain and has previously coached Racing Santander, Poli Ejido, Logroñés, Lugo, Las Palmas, and Betis football teams.

Throughout his career, he has been a proponent of ‘taking over the ball’ and ‘offensive playing’, two of the characteristics his fans love. As a player, Setién was a midfielder who excelled with Racing Santander over 12 seasons. He also featured in Atlético Madrid where he won the Spanish Super Cup.

Setién’s predecessor Valverde, 55, took over from Luis Enrique in the summer of 2017. His first season yielded a league and cup double, but he lost the Champions League title to Rome and was kicked out of the championships. But what made Valverde to be penalized and replaced was this Thursday’s Supercopa defeat against Atletico Madrid in Saudi Arabia. The recent defeat caused him not to stay longer in the club.

Barcelona was founded in 1899 by Joan Gamper. The club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and has a motto “More than a club”. Barcelona is one of the most widely supported teams in the world. This team, along Real Madrid, is also widely supported in Afghanistan and is popular among Afghan youth.