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Real Madrid winning their first LaLiga title in three years wasn't exactly a widely foretold event and obviously, it has upset Barcelona more than others. A string of below-par performances alongside some bitter fallouts with some of the players means that manager Quique Setien could be shown the door at Barcelona pretty soon.
Setien has been blamed for relying too much on Lionel Messi. After seemingly improving the team when he first took over from Ernesto Valverde, Barcelona's form has instead deteriorated to the extent that they lost the La Liga title to Real Madrid after leading the points table prior to the COVID-19 break.
The latest defeat to Osasuna on home turf has set off cries for change at FC Barcelona. With that in mind, let's take a look at five managers who could potentially replace Quique Setien at Barcelona.
5 managers who could replace Quique Setien at Barcelona
#5: Xavi
The former Barcelona player and club legend Xavi is one of the names that excite the Cules as the clarion call for a managerial change gains momentum. The 40-year-old, who is currently managing Qatar Stars league club Al- Sadd, is one of the candidates tipped to take over from Quique Setien at the Camp Nou.
In fact, just last month, Xavi admitted that he would love to return to Barcelona in a managerial capacity. He had told SPORT:
"The biggest hope I have now is to be Barca coach and get Barca back to winning ways. Not me but these players and (Barcelona) triumphing. And as a consequence, our technical staff, who are preparing for it a lot and it makes us really excited."
"I'm a club man. I would like to return at the right moment to start a project from zero.I've said it a lot of times but I want to take footballing decisions at Barcelona."
As far as the club philosophy is concerned, it would be hard for Barcelona to find someone who understands it as well as the former Spanish international does. It could very well be a step in the right direction. However, it might be a little too early in Xavi's managerial career to take that big a step.
#4: Ronald Koeman
Another former Barcelona star Ronald Koeman has been doing some really good work with the Dutch national team.
Even though his current contract with Netherlands runs till the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Koeman has admitted that there is a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the role in order to take over at Barcelona.
Koeman admitted the same to Catalunya Radio:
"I had a phone call (from Barca), as I've explained many times. But I want to keep my word with the national team, I thought we'd have Euro 2020 this summer. I'm happy with how things are with the national team and for me, that's the most important thing at the moment. None of us know what will happen in the future."
"In my contract, there is a clause that will let me leave the national team job after the Euros but now's not the time to be thinking about that. Everyone knows it's my dream to coach Barca. Hopefully I might have the opportunity to do so in the future. But as always, that depends on your performance and successes as a coach - you need a lot of experience to coach a team like Barca."
Former player-turned coaches at Barcelona like Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola have enjoyed a great amount of success at Camp Nou. As such, Koeman could be a great replacement for Quique Setien.
#3: Laurent Blanc
While it's true that Laurent Blanc hasn't been in the grind for about four years now, there is no doubting the ability of the 54-year-old who has had illustrious careers as both player and manager. He has played for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Marseille and Manchester United and has managed the French international team in addition to Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain.
Le President is currently rumoured to be in the running for the managerial role at his former club Barcelona. Blanc boasts an impressive CV and is most renowned for his time at Paris Saint-Germain where he turned the club's fortunes around during a 3-year stint.
Blanc also led Ligue 1 club Bordeaux to a title triumph in the 2008-09 season. It was a quite commendable effort given the club hadn't tasted top-flight success for ten years. Barcelona, however, are definitely not in as poor a state right now.
Blanc would also be quite familiar with Barcelona players like Antoine Griezmann, Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet. As per Mundo Deportivo (via Forbes), super agent Jorge Mendes has opened negotiations between Blanc and Barcelona.
#2: Massimiliano Allegri
Massimiliano Allegri left the manager's role at Juventus at the end of the 2018-19 season and has been on a hiatus ever since. He is a manager who has experience working with top sides. Allegri managed AC Milan from 2010-2014, even winning the Serie A with the side in 2010-11, before taking over at Juventus.
Currently out of job, Allegri rejected the opportunity to manage Cagliari saying his next job will be outside the country. And that's according to Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini, who told Sky Sports Italia:
"I made a bit of a mad phone call towards the end of January, offering Allegri the job, knowing full well it was going to be impossible. Massimiliano told me his next adventure will be abroad.”
Allegri's patient, possession-based footballing philosophy is in sync with that of Barcelona's, and the Italian has been linked with the managerial position at the Camp Nou in the past.
#1: Pep Guardiola
The odds of Pep Guardiola abandoning the ongoing project at Manchester City and returning to Barcelona are debatable, but it's not a possibility that we can completely write off. After all, Guardiola coached one of the best Barcelona teams ever and had a triumphant stint in Catalonia with arguably the best football team of the 21st century.
Guardiola's current contract with Manchester City runs till 2021. However, it has been rumoured that there is a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave a year early if he wishes to do so.
Pep Guardiola's Champions League ambitions at City have been consistently quelled, and they have had a rather below par season by their own standards. At Barcelona, Pep Guardiola will inherit a team that has an unquestionable amount of talent and is brimming with potential, something the Spaniard absolutely loves to work with.
