Setién: Barça's debts have long been settled, but Villarreal still owe me money

Since resigning as head coach of Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan in early October last year for "personal reasons," the then 67-year-old Quique Setién has been unemployed. Yesterday, he revealed on a program that a club still owe him his salary, and he is currently in court with the club over this debt.

This veteran coach has a rich coaching career, having managed several clubs including Racing Santander, Las Palmas, Real Betis, Barcelona, and Villarreal.

In an interview on the Spanish radio program El Larguero, when asked if FC Barcelona, with whom he had a previous salary dispute, had settled the outstanding payments, Setién replied, "Barça fulfilled all their promises long ago. Although the process dragged on for three or four years, they finally paid me." He then abruptly changed the subject, admitting that another club still owed him money: "Now we're waiting for Villarreal to pay, because I haven't received a single penny yet. This has been going on for two and a half years, right?"

Setién further explained the progress of the lawsuit: "This matter has now reached the courts. There have been some problems with the judge's handling of the case… We've been waiting for the verdict for a full year and a half. We'll see."

Setién also expressed his frustration: "To be honest, you can't believe something like this happens to a club like this. This kind of unpaid salary issue is ancient history, from thirty or forty years ago; it should have been completely resolved long ago. Hopefully, this matter will be settled soon."