QUIQUE Setien was not happy as he sat down at his post-match news conference.
“We allowed ourselves to be beaten by a team who did not deserve it,” then Lugo coach Setien said after his team lost 1-0 in April 2013 to Jose Bordalas’ Alcorcon. “I hope Alcorcon don’t get promoted, it’s painful to watch them. They don’t let you play, just interrupt the game, waste time.”
Few present at that Segunda Division game at the 7,000 seater Estadio Anxo Carro thought those words would be recalled ahead of Saturday afternoon’s top of the table Primera Division meeting of the two coaches at the Camp Nou.
The feud has continued as both have moved onwards and upwards – Setien progressing through Las Palmas and Real Betis to Barcelona, and Bordalas lifting Getafe from second bottom of the Segunda Division to third top of the Primera.
| FUN FACT
This was just the third time Lionel Messi managed a hat-trick of assists in his @FCBarcelona career. For comparison, he has 47 regular hat-tricks!
Previous two hat-tricks of assists – 22 Jan 2014 vs Levante and 12 Mar 2016 vs Getafe. ️ ️ ️ pic.twitter.com/Tt89mEZfB6
— SofaScore (@SofaScoreINT) February 9, 2020
Along the way Bordalas has been less quotable, but just as cutting with his comments. “The team won who wanted it more, who went looking for the victory, and who showed a pair of balls,” he said in November 2014 after another Alcorcon win over Lugo. Setien has not softened his criticism – after a 2-2 draw between Betis and Getafe in November 2017, he called the game “lamentable” and said “this is not football, it’s something else.”
The two coaches pointedly did not shake hands after their most recent meeting – Getafe’s 2-1 win at Betis last March, which was one of final straws leading to Setien being fired by 'los verdiblancos' last summer.
Their next reunion on Saturday comes during interesting times for both men. Setien is still trying to get his blaugrana players to fully understand his purist philosophy ahead of huge games against Napoli in the Champions League and current La Liga leaders Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. While also dealing with the fall-out of the public row between captain Lionel Messi and technical director Eric Abidal, and injuries and poor squad planning which have left him many pieces short of a full squad.
The mood at Getafe could not be better. They travel on the back of four successive victories, including a 3-0 derbi win at neighbours Leganes, 2-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames, and 3-0 over Valencia last weekend. The victory over direct top four rivals Los Che kept Getafe on track for a first ever Champions League qualification, and was extra sweet given the bitter rivalry between the two teams over the last few seasons.
José Bordalás (Getafe coach) on @ElTransistorOC "The game against Barça is one more in LaLiga, it is not a match to measure two different methods, It's not an exam. Setién? My relationship with coaches is good because I respect everyone, this is a very difficult profession."
— FC Barcelona Fl (@FCBarcelonaFl) February 11, 2020
Ex-Valencia coach Marcelino Garcia Toral was another to criticise Getafe’s aggressive approach, saying they played “on the limit”. Bordalas and his players have reacted to such comments by embracing a ‘nobody likes us and we don’t care’ attitude. And they do enjoy a battle – they top both La Liga’s ‘fouls per game’ standings with 18.6, and ‘yellows per game’ with 3.3.
But Getafe can also play a bit too. 37-year-old centre-forward Jorge Molina drew comparisons with Romario with his nutmeg of one Valencia defender, then feint and turn past two more, before smashing in a goal at the weekend. The previous weekend saw right-back Damian Suarez recalled Diego Maradona by playing a series of one-twos with teammates before cutting past two opponents and sliding a low finish into the far corner.
“The method is simple, make sure the players believe in the work they do,” Bordalas said on Saturday. “I tell them they have to reach their limits, and that the players at the bigger clubs are no better than them. I expect a lot from them and push them hard. They believe they can do it, and that is the secret, nothing more.”
History suggests a Getafe victory at the Camp Nou on Saturday is a big ask, as they have never won in 16 previous visits. But they did get a gritty 0-0 in February 2018. And Bordalas has six wins and two draws from his 10 games against his ‘opposite’ Setien. While the extra personal nature of their rivalry will help keep minds from wandering to the following Thursday’s looming Europa League last 32 game at home to Ajax.
It is not difficult to determine who Setien will be cheering for when his idol Johan Cruyff’s former club visit the Coliseum Alfonso Perez next week. Or to predict his reaction should Bordalas' side keep their amazing run of form going at the Camp Nou on Saturday.
