1. Player Career
Quique Setién's playing career spanned nearly two decades, primarily as a central midfielder known for his intelligence and vision on the field.
1.1. Club
Born in Santander, Setién began his professional career in 1977 with his hometown club, Racing de Santander, making his La Liga debut. During his initial spell with the Cantabrian club, he was a regular presence, though not always an undisputed starter. He missed the entire 1982-83 season and experienced two relegations with Racing.
In 1985, Setién moved to Atlético Madrid, where he played for three years. He enjoyed two successful initial seasons, contributing significantly to the team. However, his appearances became rare in his final season (1987-88) due to several public disputes with the then-club chairman, Jesús Gil.
Following his time at Atlético, Setién joined CD Logroñés in 1988. After a slow start, he became a crucial player in helping the Riojans maintain their top-tier status. In 1992, at the age of 34, he returned to Racing de Santander for his second spell. In his first year back, he scored a career-best 11 goals, contributing to the team's return to the top flight. He continued to play for Racing for three more years. Setién retired from professional football in June 1996, at nearly 38 years old, after featuring for Levante UD in the Segunda División B play-offs, which also resulted in promotion for his team.
Throughout his playing career, Setién appeared in almost 600 official matches, scoring a total of 95 league goals. In 2001, his contributions and legacy were recognized by Racing's fans, who voted him their best player of all time.
1.2. International
Setién earned three caps for the Spain national team. He was included in the squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico, but he did not make an appearance during the tournament, remaining on the bench for all matches. His international debut came on 20 November 1985 in a 0-0 friendly match against Austria, played in Zaragoza.
2. Coaching Career
Quique Setién's coaching career has seen him manage a variety of clubs across different tiers of Spanish football, as well as a brief stint in international management.
2.1. Early Career
Setién began his managerial career on 5 October 2001, taking over at Racing de Santander after the dismissal of Gustavo Benítez. Racing had started the season poorly following their relegation to the Segunda División. Setién successfully guided the team from 17th place to promotion as runners-up to Atlético Madrid in the 2001-02 Segunda División season. However, he departed at the end of the season due to external pressure, handing over the reins to his former teammate Manuel Preciado.
For the 2003-04 campaign, Setién returned to the second division to manage Polideportivo Ejido. His tenure was short-lived, as he was dismissed on 17 November with the team situated in the relegation zone.
In 2005, Setién was appointed as an assistant coach for the Russia national beach soccer team. The following year, he had a brief three-month spell in charge of the Equatorial Guinea national team. After this, he moved to another of his former playing clubs, Logroñés, in the third division, but was relieved of his duties midway through the 2007-08 season.
2.2. Lugo
In June 2009, Setién was appointed as the head coach of CD Lugo. His tenure at Lugo was marked by significant success. In his third year, during the 2011-12 Segunda División B season, he led the team to promotion to the second tier, a historic achievement as it was only the second time the Galician club had reached that level. Over the subsequent three years, Setién managed to keep Lugo afloat in the Segunda División, with the team consistently finishing between 11th and 15th place, demonstrating his ability to maintain stability and competitiveness with limited resources.
2.3. Las Palmas
On 19 October 2015, Setién took over as the new manager of UD Las Palmas in the top flight, succeeding Paco Herrera. Upon his arrival, the team was in the relegation zone. Setién successfully steered them away from danger, guiding them to an 11th-place finish in his first season. Despite this success, on 18 March 2017, Setién announced his decision to leave the Canary Islands club at the end of the campaign, citing disputes with the board as the reason for his departure.
2.4. Real Betis
Setién was appointed manager of Real Betis on 26 May 2017, signing a three-year deal. In his first year, he led the team to an impressive sixth-place finish, which secured qualification for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. During this season, Betis achieved a notable victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on 20 September 2017. Setién was known for actively promoting academy players, such as Loren and Junior Firpo, into the first team.
In the 2018-19 La Liga season, Betis continued to attract attention, notably with a 4-3 victory over FC Barcelona at Camp Nou early in the season. However, the team's form declined later in the season. Despite reaching the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, they were defeated by Valencia CF in a match held at their home ground, Estadio Benito Villamarín, leading to criticism from local fans. The season concluded with Betis finishing in 10th place. Setién had been linked with a move to Barcelona in January 2019, but it did not materialize at that time. On 19 May 2019, he announced his departure from Real Betis.
2.5. Barcelona
Setién's most high-profile appointment came on 13 January 2020, when he signed as head coach of FC Barcelona, replacing the dismissed Ernesto Valverde. His contract was set to run until June 2022. In his first match in charge, six days later, Barcelona secured a 1-0 home victory over Granada CF.
Under Setién's management, Barcelona finished the 2019-20 La Liga season in second position, behind Real Madrid. His tenure culminated in a devastating 8-2 loss to FC Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League on 14 August 2020. This defeat was historic for Barcelona, marking the first time in 74 years that the club had conceded eight goals in a single game, and their first loss by a six-goal margin since 1951. Setién was officially dismissed three days later, on 17 August 2020. Subsequently, he confirmed his intention to take legal action against the club, stating that the terms of his contract had not been respected.
In an August 2021 interview with the Spanish magazine "Jot Down," Setién reflected on his time at Barcelona, suggesting he might not continue coaching. He stated that the football he had experienced in recent years was not the kind he enjoyed, preferring playing over coaching. He also described the Barcelona dressing room as unlike any he had encountered in his 40-year career as a player and coach, noting that "something was different" and he was "shocked."
2.6. Villarreal
Setién returned to management on 25 October 2022, taking over at Villarreal CF as a replacement for Unai Emery, who had departed for Aston Villa. He led Villarreal to a fifth-place finish in the 2022-23 La Liga season, securing qualification for the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League. However, his second season with the club started poorly, with the team recording only one win and three losses in their opening four matches of the 2023-24 La Liga season. Consequently, Setién was dismissed on 5 September 2023 due to these poor results.
2.7. Beijing Guoan
On 10 December 2024, Quique Setién was appointed as the manager of Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan.
3. Tactics and Philosophy
Quique Setién is renowned for his distinct football philosophy, which is deeply rooted in possession football and tactical control. He is a strong advocate for building play from the back, maintaining high possession percentages, and dominating the midfield. His teams typically aim to control the tempo of the game through intricate passing and strategic positioning.
A significant influence on Setién's tactical approach is his passion for chess. He is an avid chess player, holding a FIDE rating of 1965 (or 2055 according to some sources). He has even played matches against former world champions Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov, though the results were not publicly disclosed. Setién frequently draws parallels between the strategic thinking required in chess and football, emphasizing the importance of anticipating opponents' moves, controlling key areas of the field (analogous to the chessboard's center), and creating numerical superiority. He believes that "feelings leave a stronger mark than results," suggesting a focus on the process and enjoyment of the game over mere outcomes. This philosophy prioritizes intelligent movement, spatial awareness, and collective understanding among players to dismantle opposition defenses and maintain control.
4. Personal Life
Enrique Setién Solar was born in Santander. His son, Laro Setién, is also a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Furthermore, his father-in-law, José Antonio Lozano, played in the Spanish second tier in the early 1960s. Notably, all three relatives-Quique, Laro, and José Antonio-have represented Racing de Santander at some point in their careers.
In addition to his native Spanish, Setién is also fluent in English and Italian. His personal interests extend beyond football, most notably to chess. He is a highly enthusiastic chess player and has even had the opportunity to play against legendary grandmasters like Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. While the results of these matches were not made public, Setién has often spoken about how the strategic principles of chess, such as controlling the center and anticipating moves, profoundly influence his approach to football tactics, particularly his emphasis on possession and midfield dominance.
Before taking on the high-profile role of Barcelona manager, Setién lived a relatively quiet life in LiencresSpanish, a rural town located about 5.6 mile (9 km) west of Santander, known for its pastoral landscapes and prevalence of cows. He famously commented on the stark contrast between his previous life and his new role, stating: "Yesterday I was walking past cows in my home town; today I was at Barcelona's training ground coaching the best players in the world, an enormous club." This connection to his rural roots remained strong, as he once humorously expressed his dream of "walking around Liencres with the cows while holding up the Champions League trophy and showing it to them" if he were to win the title with Barcelona.
5. Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P (Matches played) | W (Matches won) | D (Matches drawn) | L (Matches lost) | Win % (Win percentage) | |||
| Racing Santander | 4 October 2001 | 19 June 2002 | 18|10|8|50.00 | ||||
| Poli Ejido | 1 July 2003 | 17 November 2003 | 2|4|7|15.38 | ||||
| Equatorial Guinea | 1 October 2006 | 31 December 2006 | 0|0|1|0.00 | ||||
| Logroñés | 30 May 2007 | 15 January 2008 | 5|6|9|25.00 | ||||
| Lugo | 10 June 2009 | 8 June 2015 | 99|84|79|37.79 | ||||
| Las Palmas | 19 October 2015 | 26 May 2017 | 26|18|34|33.33 | ||||
| Betis | 26 May 2017 | 19 May 2019 | 39|22|33|41.49 | ||||
| Barcelona | 13 January 2020 | 17 August 2020 | 16|4|5|64.00 | ||||
| Villarreal | 25 October 2022 | 5 September 2023 | 18|6|15|46.15 | ||||
| Beijing Guoan | 10 December 2024 | present | 1|0|0|100.00 | ||||
| Total | 224|154|191|39.37 | ||||||
6. Player Honours
During his playing career, Quique Setién achieved notable success, particularly during his time with Atlético Madrid.
Atlético Madrid
- Supercopa de España: 1985
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runner-up: 1985-86
7. Assessment and Impact
Quique Setién's career, both as a player and a manager, has been characterized by a distinctive playing philosophy and a series of varied experiences, marked by both notable successes and significant challenges.
7.1. Managerial Evaluation
Setién's coaching methods are consistently praised for their adherence to a possession-based and offensive style of football, often described as aesthetically pleasing. He prioritizes tactical intelligence, emphasizing ball control, intricate passing, and midfield dominance. This philosophy brought success to clubs like Lugo, whom he guided to promotion and sustained in the Segunda División, and Las Palmas, where he rescued the team from relegation and established a stable mid-table position. His tenure at Real Betis was particularly successful in his first season, leading them to European qualification with an attractive playing style and a focus on developing young talent from the academy.
However, his overall success has been mixed. While his teams often played attractive football, they sometimes struggled with consistency and defensive solidity. His time at larger clubs like FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF showcased the challenges of implementing his purist philosophy under high-pressure environments and with established star players. Despite leading Villarreal to European qualification, his subsequent dismissal due to a poor start to the next season highlights the results-driven nature of top-tier football.
7.2. Controversies and Criticisms
Setién's career has not been without its controversies and criticisms. As a player at Atlético Madrid, he had public spats with club chairman Jesús Gil, which reportedly affected his playing time in his final season there. In his managerial roles, his departure from UD Las Palmas was attributed to disputes with the club's board, indicating a potential friction when his vision clashed with administrative decisions.
The most significant controversy of his career occurred during his brief tenure at FC Barcelona. Despite being brought in to restore a more traditional, possession-oriented style, he struggled to fully implement his system and manage the dressing room dynamics. The climax of this period was the humiliating 8-2 defeat to FC Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, a result that led to his swift dismissal. Following his departure, Setién confirmed he would take legal action against Barcelona, claiming that the terms of his contract were not respected. He later reflected in an interview that the Barcelona dressing room was unlike any he had experienced in his 40-year career, suggesting deep-seated issues beyond his control. At Real Betis, despite initial success, a decline in form and a disappointing exit from the Copa del Rey at home led to fan criticism and his eventual departure. His recent dismissal from Villarreal after a poor start to the season further underscores the challenges he has faced in maintaining consistent results.
7.3. Influence
Setién's tactical approach and coaching style have left a notable impact on the sport, particularly his unwavering commitment to possession and strategic play. He is seen as a proponent of a purist, aesthetically pleasing brand of football, often drawing comparisons to the Cruyffian philosophy. His emphasis on midfield control, intelligent movement, and building from the back has influenced players and coaches who appreciate a more cerebral approach to the game.
His background as a keen chess player is a unique aspect of his influence, as he openly attributes his tactical thinking to the strategic principles of the game. This connection highlights the importance of foresight, planning, and understanding spatial relationships in football, offering a different perspective on coaching. While his high-profile spell at Barcelona ended abruptly and controversially, it underscored his commitment to his principles, even when faced with immense pressure and a challenging environment. Setién's legacy within football is that of a manager who consistently advocates for a beautiful, intelligent game, prioritizing the process of play over a purely results-driven approach.