Quique Setién Opens Up on Lionel Messi Admiration and Barcelona Dressing-Room Struggles: “I Wasn’t Myself”
Quique Setién has revisited one of the most difficult periods of his coaching career, admitting that his time at Barcelona left him feeling like a different person despite fulfilling a lifelong ambition.
The Spanish coach arrived at Camp Nou in January 2020, having spent years admiring Barcelona’s style of football and watching Lionel Messi produce extraordinary performances.
However, his brief spell in charge proved far more complicated than he had imagined. Speaking on the Quien Marca Gana podcast, as reported by SPORT, Setién reflected on his admiration for Messi, the difficulties he encountered inside the Barcelona dressing room and an unexpected opportunity he nearly accepted before the Catalan club came calling.
Setién Reveals What He Told Messi at Barcelona
Setién’s appreciation for Messi began long before he became Barcelona manager.
The Argentine superstar had been one of the main reasons the former coach regularly watched Barcelona, making the opportunity to work with him particularly special.
Recalling their interaction, Setién revealed what he once told the forward:
“I’ve spent 14 years of my life looking forward to Barcelona’s matches just to watch you play.”
For a coach who admired Barcelona’s possession-based football and attacking philosophy, taking charge of the club represented an extraordinary milestone.
“Signing for Barça was something spectacular for me,” he admitted.
Yet the reality of managing one of the world's biggest clubs proved considerably more challenging than the dream itself.
Setién acknowledged that his time at Barcelona affected his personality and behaviour, leaving him feeling unlike the coach he had been at previous clubs.
“At Barça, I wasn’t myself; I couldn’t, or I didn’t know how. That’s the answer. I wasn’t myself because that’s not who I am.”
He added: “I had a different persona; I look at photos from that time, and I don’t recognise myself.”
His reflections offer a glimpse into the personal difficulties he experienced during a period that ended far sooner than he had anticipated.
Why Setién Struggled Inside Barcelona’s Dressing Room
Setién also compared his experience at Barcelona with his previous spell at Real Betis, where he said his everyday relationships with the players had been considerably more positive.
Although his departure from Betis had become difficult, he remembered the dressing-room atmosphere fondly.
“I’d come from Betis – it’s true that I ended my time there with lots of people telling me to leave – but day-to-day life in the dressing room had been extraordinary, truly extraordinary.”
Barcelona, however, presented a different environment.
Setién suggested that his daily experience at Camp Nou was far less comfortable, hinting at behind-the-scenes difficulties without revealing specific details.
“That wasn’t how things were on a day-to-day basis in Barcelona; it couldn’t have been like that. And I’ve got loads of stories I’m not going to tell,” he explained.
His comments stop short of identifying particular individuals or incidents, but they underline how difficult he found adapting to the demands and internal dynamics of the club.
The COVID-19 pandemic also complicated his tenure, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already challenging period.
Despite the disappointment, Setién insisted that he did not regret accepting the opportunity.
“Do I regret it? No, of course not, because in the end you’re there. But it really was very difficult and I didn’t have a particularly good time. I didn’t enjoy being part of that team as much as I should have.”
Setién Nearly Turned Down Barcelona for an Egyptian Project
One of the most surprising revelations concerned the opportunity Setién was considering immediately before Barcelona approached him.
According to the coach, he had been close to accepting an offer connected to an Egyptian football project backed by a businessman interested in purchasing a club.
The financial package was reportedly substantial.
“He offered me a brutal amount of money,” Setién recalled.
However, his advisers encouraged him to wait, suggesting that Barcelona could become a realistic option.
Setién initially struggled to believe them.
“‘Don’t go to Egypt because you can sign for Barcelona’. And I told them: ‘But what am I going to sign for Barcelona? But what have I done to sign for Barcelona?’”
The opportunity eventually materialised, giving him the chance to manage the club he had admired for so many years.
Yet his subsequent reflections reveal the contrast between achieving that ambition and enjoying the experience itself.
A Barcelona Dream That Did Not Match Reality
Setién’s spell at Barcelona remains a complicated chapter in his managerial career.
He arrived with enormous admiration for Messi and the club’s footballing identity, but the pressure of the position and the difficulties he experienced behind the scenes left a lasting impression.
His latest comments do not suggest that he regrets taking the job. Instead, they reveal a coach who recognises how far the reality of managing Barcelona differed from his expectations.
For Setién, the opportunity to lead the Blaugrana was a dream come true. The experience, however, proved that even the most prestigious managerial appointments can bring challenges that admiration and ambition alone cannot overcome.