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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Ben Hayward

Barcelona coach Quique Setien meets president Josep Maria Bartomeu for crisis talks after Lionel Messi's call for change

Barcelona coach Quique Setien is to meet president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Friday for talks over his future.

Setien's position is under threat after Barca lost 2-1 at home to Osasuna on Thursday night and saw Real Madrid claim LaLiga with one round remaining.

There were also some strong words from captain Lionel Messi with the Argentine calling for change after the game.

Prior to the match against Osasuna, Setien said he saw himself in charge next season, but was asked after the defeat if he thought he would be the coach when the Champions League resumes next month and said: "I don't know. I hope so."

In his post-match interview, Messi warned that Barcelona would be beaten in the Champions League unless there was serious improvement and also said that everything "from January until now" had been especially bad.

Setien took over from Ernesto Valverde in January and Messi's words were hardly a vote of confidence for the 61-year-old coach.

No decision is likely to be taken yet, with Barca in action away to Alaves in their final LaLiga game of the season on Sunday, but a change cannot be ruled out before Barca face Napoli in the teams' Champions League last-16 second-leg match next month.

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