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Soccer

Will both Barcelona and Real Madrid change their manager?

Even in the tumultuous atmosphere of Barcelona, the stay of manager Quique Setien might go down a...



Soccer

Will both Barcelona and Real Madrid change their manager?

Even in the tumultuous atmosphere of Barcelona, the stay of manager Quique Setien might go down as one of the poorest appointments at a time where they can least afford one.

The politics at Camp Nou are fraught, with Leo Messi criticising sporting director Eric Abidal publicly, while performances on the pitch have been very changeable.

The appointment of Setien may be short-lived, given developments over the weekend, as we heard from Spanish football journalist Dermot Corrigan.

"Even since the game at the weekend, Spanish TV picked up Setien's number two - who has a very strong role - he was on the bench criticising the players.

"He wasn't doing that thing where he covers his mouth and the cameras picked him up having a go at [Gerard] Pique, having a go at [Frenkie] De Jong, Arturo Vidal and different players.

"That hasn't gone down well at all, with dressing room sources saying that he and his team are really up for the job and whether it is too much for them.

"The same stories point out that they don't really blame Setien, they blame the president and the board for hiring someone that wasn't really up for it."

Anti-Barcelona?

If that situation wasn't bad enough, then attention only needs to turn to their bitter rivals, Real Madrid.

After a defeat to Manchester City, it appears even a win in El Clasico won't be enough to save Zinedine Zidane from the chop at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It is a familiar name from the gossip columns that is circling, should Zidane not deliver a La Liga title this year

"When he was in Barcelona as the Espanyol coach, it was felt among the higher levels at Madrid - with the way that he took on Barcelona and Guardiola [...] he is seen to be someone that has the stature to be a Real Madrid manager down the line.

"It depends what other options open up for him, but the work that he did at Spurs is very highly-rated here.

"Even that sense of anti-Barcelona edge all help when people at Madrid look at who they want to hire next.

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