QUIQUE Setien’s reception on his return to Real Betis on Sunday evening could be a useful barometer for how the new Barcelona coach’s relationship with blaugrana supporters turns out in the long term.
Setien’s work during his two seasons as Betis coach between 2017 and 2019, and especially his team’s 4-3 victory at the Camp Nou in November 2018, convinced Barca’s board to turn to him in early January as they scrambled to replace Ernesto Valverde on the Camp Nou bench.
That deserved victory while sticking to his principles was not an isolated occasion. Setien’s time at Betis brought regular highlights as he connected with talented ball players like Sergio Canales, Joaquin Sanchez and Giovanni Lo Celso as his team often played brave and thrilling football.
A reminder of Quique Setién's Real Betis last season…
August 2018:
Possession: Real Betis 78-22 Levante
Result: Real Betis 0-3 LevanteApril 2019:
Possession: Levante 28-72 Real Betis
Result: Levante 4-0 Real Betis https://t.co/subyzqOi8J— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) January 22, 2020
The idealistic coach's relationship with verdiblanco supporters was also strengthened by a 5-3 derbi win at city neighbours Sevilla, and a sixth placed finish in his first season which brought Europa League qualification.
Things were quite different the following season though. Setien’s team only scored one goal in their first five games in all competitions – and the tone was set for a much less exciting time. Betis were still capable of some standout shows – including wins at Camp Nou, San Siro [in the Europa League] and the Bernabeu.
But there were also some awfully limp performances – such as 0-3 defeats to Levante and Leganes, and they spent much of the campaign in the bottom half.
“We had, above all, one very good year with [Setien], when we got into Europe,” said Betis defender Marc Bartra this week, deliberately or otherwise declining to comment on their second season together.
Whether Setien was most responsible for what went wrong is questionable. Haphazard transfer policy and misfortune with injuries left him without a number nine for much of the campaign. But an obstinate refusal to adapt to circumstances brought frustration from many of his own team’s fans. There were whistles at the Benito Villamarin from early in the season, and regular chants of ‘Quique vete ya’ ['Quique out'] during a run of nine defeats in 14 games last spring.
Quique Setién: "I'm very happy with lots of things, but not with everything. We conceded too many shots. We had a very good first half; I think we could've scored more goals. It could have finished 8-2 or 8-3." #fcblive pic.twitter.com/aMSlj1Nbnx
— FC Barcelona Fl (@FCBarcelonaFl) February 3, 2020
“I believe he did a great job at Betis,” verdiblanco president Angel Haro said after firing Setien hours after a 2-0 win at Madrid on the final day. “There are situations you cannot control. I feel a bit guilty about not being able to control this excessive tension which was created around Quique. We had a good relationship, and both wanted to continue, but in a way the fans have pushed him out.”
Setien did not really help himself with prickly reactions to criticism, both externally and internally. On his exit he spoke barbedly about how as a ‘rational’ Cantabrian he did not really understand the more ‘emotional’ Andalusians who just did not ‘get’ what he was trying to do.
Which leads us to wondering how Setien will fare over time with blaugrana fans and pundits, who got very excited about his Johan Cruyff influenced ideas immediately moving the team decisively away from the supposed drabness of the late Valverde period.
Reality has been a bit more difficult however – with clear signs that Barca’s players are struggling to understand exactly what Setien wants them to do. The 2-0 La Liga defeat at Valencia was a real wake-up, and even when winning 2-1 against Levante at the Camp Nou last weekend there was no clear indication of any convincing new style of play.
Betis have also struggled to find a new identity under replacement Joan Francesc Ferrer ‘Rubi’, who worked as an assistant coach at the Camp Nou during 2013/14. Losing Lo Celso to Tottenham last summer was another big blow, with replacement Nabi Fakir being equally talented but not nearly as consistent. Meanwhile, Rubi has regularly changed up his personnel and tactical selections to try and find a new more pragmatic system which works.
Quique Setien: "Games away from home are a pending subject for us. We will try to reverse the dynamic, and next week's two games are a good opportunity to do so." pic.twitter.com/7RKEiBrdRF
— Barcelona Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) February 1, 2020
Betis won just just two of their first 10 La Liga games, but steadily improved through the autumn. Recent weeks have brought a return to inconsistency, with a joyful 3-0 La Liga win over Real Sociedad followed immediately by a painful Copa del Rey exit at Segunda side Rayo Vallecano.
All of which sets everything up nicely for this weekend’s reunion back in the Andalusian capital. Barca won 4-0 and 5-1 in their two visits during Setien's time as Betis coach. A similar result on Sunday would really help win over the doubters around the Camp Nou, while a Betis victory would be hugely celebrated by the Benito Villamarin.
Longer term whether Rubi or Setien last longer in their respective jobs is really impossible to predict.
“Each coach tries to win in their own way,” Bartra said on Monday. “When a coach arrives at a new club it is about adapting, the coach to the players, and the players to the coach. Barcelona is a club which aspires to everything. Let’s see how it goes".
