“Very worrying”: Barcelona after bankruptcy in the pillory

Barely two weeks in office, new coach Quique Setien is experiencing his first crisis at Spanish football champions FC Barcelona.

“Very, very worrying” the daily newspaper “Sport” found the Catalans’ 2-0 (0-0) defeat at FC Valencia. “Barca will not win any of the big titles except by a miracle,” predicted “Marca” after the third game of the successor to Ernesto Valverde.

Three days after the near-blameout in the Copa del Rey at third-league outfit UD Ibiza (2-1), the team led by national goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen disappointed across the board – and are apparently still struggling with their new coach.

“There are things they didn’t understand or we didn’t explain them well enough,” said Setien. “To be honest, we were bad in the first half.

Thanks to ter Stegen, Barca wasn’t behind at half-time. The former Gladbach player saved a penalty from Maxi Gomez (12th). However, an own goal by Jordi Alba (48.) and a goal by Gomez (77.) meant the decision in favour of Valencia. In the 83rd minute another goal from Valencia was not given after the video referee had given the signal.