Barcelona’s past continues to collide with its present as old chapters resurface while a new project gathers momentum.
The club is once again being judged through the lens of comparison, with stability, youth and clarity now taking centre stage.
Under Hansi Flick, there is a renewed sense of direction that feels worlds apart from the turbulence of previous eras.
Supporters have begun to look forward rather than back, even if certain moments from the recent past still refuse to fade quietly.
One of those moments has now been revisited by a former coach who lived it from the inside.
Only after that broader context does the focus return to Quique Setien, whose brief and chaotic spell at Barcelona remains one of the most debated managerial stints in the club’s modern history.
Speaking on Cadena SER’s El Larguero, as revealed on X, the former Barca coach delivered one of his most open reflections yet on his time at Camp Nou, making it clear that, despite everything, “I don’t regret going to Barca.”
Quique Setien took charge of Barcelona for just 25 matches in 2020, stepping into an environment that was already fractured and emotionally drained, something he acknowledged with striking honesty.
“I would have liked it to have been different, but I didn’t arrive at a time when the lads were excited, enthusiastic, and in good spirits… sadly, it was different,” he admitted, underlining how the timing of his appointment worked heavily against him.
That context is crucial when revisiting a reign that ended abruptly just three days after the infamous 2-8 Champions League humiliation against Bayern Munich, a result that still haunts the club’s recent history.
Despite holding a contract that ran until 2022, Setien was dismissed immediately, closing the door on a turbulent chapter that never truly had time to breathe.
Looking at Barcelona today, however, Setien’s tone shifted dramatically.
Rather than dwelling on bitterness, he spoke with clear admiration for the work currently being carried out under Flick, highlighting a sense of coherence that was absent during his own tenure.
“The players are the protagonists. I think Flick’s influence is very strong.
“He is a very demanding man and the squad has accepted his approach,” Setien explained, before adding, “Although it may seem like a suicidal idea at times, he gives Barca much more than he takes away.”
His praise continued as he pointed to the long-term vision now in place, saying, “He is building a young team that will grow over time. I think it’s a very solid team and I like it.”
Quique Setien also confirmed that his long-running legal dispute with Barcelona has finally come to an end, offering closure on a saga that lingered long after his dismissal.
“Everything has been resolved. Barca took 3-4 years to pay me, but they have now made all the payments they owed me and they no longer owe me anything,” he revealed.
This isn’t the first time a legal dispute has been tied with Barcelona.
For Barcelona, it marks another symbolic step away from a fractured past and further reinforces the sense that, at last, the club is moving forward with clarity rather than chaos.
😞 @QSetien, sobre los impagos en @LaLiga
👉 “El Barça ha cumplido con todos los pagos y no me deben dinero”
😠🗯️ “Del Villarreal no he cobrado NADA y ya va a hacer dos años y medio. Está en un juzgado. Llevamos año y medio esperando una sentencia para cobrar lo que me deben” pic.twitter.com/aqkNdJzrV2
— El Larguero (@ellarguero) January 7, 2026
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