Valverde sacked Setién appointed

MANAGER MADNESS IN CATALONIA

A day after Xavi spurned the job, Barcelona have sensationally sacked manager Ernesto Valverde and appointed the relative unknown Quique Setién in his place.

Valverde took training this morning for the last time although he was not informed of his fate until the afternoon board meeting with president Jose Bartomeu. Setién was announced this evening as his replacement.

The 61-year old played over 300 times for his hometown club Racing Santander and was in the Spain squad for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He has managed seven clubs, most recently Real Betis the season before last.

The club statement made a point of showing the somewhat leftfield choice fitted the bill for his long-confessed admiration for the Barça way of playing:

"Throughout his career he has been a proponent of possession-based attacking football that has been attractive to fans," it said.

Valverde leaves the Catalan giants with two league titles, a Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup on his CV and a 66% win ratio.

Setién enters the madhouse on Tuesday with a public presentation at 1pm GMT, the sixth head coach at the Camp Nou in seven years.