Veteran Spanish coach Quique Setien revealed exciting details about his time as manager of Barcelona, confirming that he preferred the Catalan club's call over a lucrative financial offer he received from the Egyptian league at that time, while stressing that he did not regret this decision despite the difficulties he faced.
Behind the scenes of the Egyptian show and the timing of the decision
The story dates back to early 2020, when Quique Setién's name was strongly linked to Egyptian club Pyramids FC, which was seeking to attract a big-name international coach to lead its ambitious football project aimed at competing with Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Zamalek. While negotiations were progressing positively, a surprise call from Barcelona's management completely changed the Spanish coach's plans.
In comments reported by the Spanish newspaper AS, Setién said: “I don’t regret choosing to coach Barcelona instead of going to Egypt. Coaching Barça was a dream, and it’s true that I wished the circumstances surrounding the club had been better.” Setién was referring to the difficult transitional period the Catalan club was going through, which coincided with severe administrative and technical crises.
Barcelona: Then and Now
Setien drew a comparison between the team’s current situation and the one he experienced, explaining that Barcelona today is going through a bright period thanks to the reliance on young talents and the positive energy emanating from rising stars such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Xavi, which is completely different from the dressing room that Setien found, which was suffering from the players’ advanced age and their saturation with championships, making the task of change extremely complicated.
Setien's time at Barcelona ended tragically after the historic 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, a match that hastened his departure and plunged the club into a dark tunnel of administrative changes.
The end of Barcelona's financial crisis and the beginning of another
On the financial front, Setién confirmed the end of his dispute with the Catalan club, saying: “Everything is resolved now. It took Barcelona three to four years to pay me due to the club’s economic situation, but they have paid all the outstanding amounts, and they owe nothing more.” This statement reflects the extent of the economic crisis Barcelona suffered, which forced them to reschedule their debts with several former players and coaches.
Setien concluded by mentioning a new legal battle he is currently waging, this time against Villarreal, saying: “Currently, I am waiting for my dues from Villarreal, as I have not received any money yet despite it being almost three years since I left. The case is before the court, and I did not expect such procrastination from clubs the size of Villarreal.”.
