Messi is difficult to manage -former Barcelona coach Setién
Quique Setien reflected on his time with superstar captain Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
Former Barcelona coach Quique Setién admits that Lionel Messi was a difficult player to manage during his time at Camp Nou.
Setién was sacked by Barça following a tumultuous 2019-20 season which saw the club dethroned by bitter rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga and humiliated 2-8 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals. The ex-Betis boss was replaced by Ronald Koeman at the end of the campaign, having only filled the void left by Ernesto Valverde in January.
Setién was full of praise for Messi in an interview with Vicente Del Bosque published in Sunday's edition of El País but reflected on a difficult period with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner in Barcelona.
Messi, head and shoulders above the rest
"I think Messi is the best of all time," Setién said. "There have been other great players who have been great, but the continuity that this boy has had throughout the years has not been had by anyone. Leo is difficult to manage. Who am I to change him! If they have accepted him as he is for years and have not changed him. There's another facet beyond just the player and it's more difficult to manage. Much more difficult. It's something inherent in many athletes that can be seen in the Michael Jordan documentary ['The Last Dance']. You see things you don't expect. He's very reserved but he makes you see the things that he wants. He doesn't talk much."
Setién, who has announced he will be taking legal action over the handling of his dismissal at Barcelona, added: "After leaving what I am clear on is that at certain times should have made other decisions, but there's something above you: the club. And it is above the president, the player, the coach. It's the club and the fans. They are the ones to whom you owe the greatest respect, and you have to do what is most convenient for the club as a whole."