Quique Setien has been relieved of his role as first-team coach by FC Barcelona following a meeting of the Board of Directors at the Camp Nou.
After Barcelona's humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich on Friday evening, the writing was on the wall for Setien who joined the club in January following the sacking of Ernesto Valverde.
The Spaniard proceeded over a collapse in La Liga as Barcelona surrendered their league title to Real Madrid.
The club announced Setien's dismissal on Monday evening in a statement on their website.
"The Board of Directors have agreed that Quique Setien is no longer the first-team coach. This is the first decision within a wider restructuring of the first team which will be agreed between the current technical secretary and the new coach who will be announced in the coming days."
❗ Quique Setién no longer first team coach.
The new coach will be announced in the coming days as part of a wide ranging restructuring of the first team.— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 17, 2020
"Quique Setién came to Barça as coach on 13 January of this year. During his seven months in charge, the Cantabiran coached the first team in 25 matches: 19 in the league, three in the Champions League and three in the Copa del Rey."
Ronald Koeman has been heavily linked with the Barcelona job in the past few days and has been touted as Setien's replacement.
In 2021 Barca are due to host their elections for a new president. Current club president, Josep Maria Bartomeu is unable to stand in 2021 and it is widely expected that whoever the incumbent is they will look to choose their own coach in the future.
One of the leading candidates, Victor Font, is linked closely with the return of Xavi Hernandez as manager of the club.
Many in Catalonia have called for the board to hold the elections early, clearly unhappy with Bartomeu's reign at the Camp Nou. That call does not seem to have been heeded and Bartomeu and the board remain for now.
The club also indicated in their statement that the elections will take place next March.
Barça statement. Setién sacked. Elections next March. pic.twitter.com/lujGGowqWN
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) August 17, 2020
Barcelona also announced that goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter-Stegen will undergo knee surgery, compounding an already awful situation at the club.
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