Spanish champions, Barcelona have sacked their coach Ernesto Valverde and appointed Quique Setien as his replacement, the club announced on Monday.
Valverde, 55, helped the club to two successive La Liga titles and they are currently leading on goal difference on the table.
However, the Catalan side have produced a series of unconvincing displays under his leadership and have failed to reach the Champions League final.
Quique Setien, 61, who was a former coach of Real Betis, led Betis to their highest finish since 2005 and to the Copa de rel semis before leaving the club in May.
In a statement, the board said they had reached an agreement with Valverde to terminate his contract and thanked him “for his professionalism, his commitment, his dedication and his always positive treatment towards all that make up the Barca family”.
“Barcelona and Quique Setien have reached an agreement for the latter to become first team coach until 30 June 2022,” the club said.
“Setien is one of the most experienced coaches in Spanish football,” it added. “Throughout his career he has been a proponent of possession based, attacking football that has been attractive to the fans.”
Quique Setien’s first game in charge will be at home to Granada on Sunday. Barcelona play Napoli in the last 16 of the Champions League next month and play rivals, Real Madrid in the league at the start of March.
Setien has made no secret of his admiration for the stylistic traditions of Barcelona, with the 61-year-old also renowned for favouring an exciting, offensive mode of football.
