Barcelona: Sarabia's box-office display in Real Madrid defeat
The Spanish TV channel Vamos captured Barcelona assistant coach Eder Sarabia's volcanic touchline display in Sunday's defeat to Real Madrid.
The coaching duo of Quique Setién and Eder Sarabia took charge of their first Clásico on Sunday night, watching their Barcelona side go down to a 2-0 defeat that saw Real Madrid leapfrog the Catalans at the top of the LaLiga table.
Sarabia gives eye-catching touchline display in Barcelona's Clásico loss
It's far from uncommon for a coach and his assistant to be contrasting touchline presences, and this is a tendency that certainly seems to apply to the Barça pair. Alongside the more laid-back Setién, indeed, Blaugrana number two Sarabia put in a performance at the Bernabéu that was little short of volcanic.
Throughout the game, Sarabia's frenetic activity was captured by the cameras of Spanish television channel Vamos, as the frequently irritated and incandescent 39-year-old urged on the Barcelona team from the away dugout.
"Fucking hell, Antoine, stick it away!"
The first instalment of the Sarabia show comes after an apparent Barça error in bringing the ball out from the back, which prompts keep-your-heads gestures from Setién and leads his assistant, sitting behind him on the bench, to complain: "That pass shouldn't have gone to Busi [Sergio Busquets], it should have gone to one of the midfielders either side of him!"
Next, he bemoans Antoine Griezmann's inability to capitalise on a fine first-half opportunity to score, yelling: "Fucking hell, Antoine, stick it away!" With Barça getting themselves into promising positions but failing to test goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, a frustrated Sarabia can then be seen shouting: "Shoot, for fuck's sake!"
"He's not doing any of the things he's supposed to be doing!"
The assistant's temperature continues to rise as the match progresses and, with Setién impassive, he turns to another member of the coaching staff to complain about one player: "He's not doing any of the things he's supposed to be doing!"
Vamos' video then captures a conversation between Sarabia and Setién, in which the latter explains - this time in more composed fashion - that Barça are sitting too deep. "Our defensive line shouldn't be so far back, because they find more space [between the lines] and [Karim] Benzema drops in and picks it up, and then they put us on the back foot. We need to limit those spaces."
Setién focuses on positives after Clásico reverse
Despite the defeat, Setién struck an upbeat tone post-match, telling his press conference that there were "positives to take away from the game", and adding: "We were on top in the first half and we did pretty well and created chances, including one before they scored. We have the ability to bounce back."
Sarabia, Setién began working together at Las Palmas
Sarabia, the son of former Spain international Manu, began working with Setién during the Barcelona boss' spell at the helm of Las Palmas, between 2015 and 2017. He was also the coach's right-hand man at Real Betis, where the pair were in charge from 2017 to 2019.