Big Name Master from Barcelona, Kim Min-jae's team Beijing Guoan will be appointed in a surprise move (official announcement)
Dec 14, 2024
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Beijing Guoan, a member of the Chinese Super League, announced on its official channel on the 10th that it has appointed Setien as the successor of Portuguese coach Hicardo Soares, who stepped down after last season.
The club said 'Setien's football philosophy favors attack and emphasizes passes and controls. This is very consistent with the soccer style pursued by Beijing Guoan. At the same time, Setien is also good at fostering young resources and is one of the most experienced managers in Spanish football.
Beijing Guoan said 'We believe Setien will bring new life to the team, give fans a more enjoyable game, and lead the team to achieve higher goals.' Beijing Guoan ranked fourth in the league after Shanghai Port, the winner of the 2024 season, Shanghai Shenhua, the runner-up, and Chengdu Longcheng.
Beijing, which has appointed former Guizhou coach Gregorio Mansano, former UAE national team coach Alberto Zaccheroni, former Benfica coach Roger Schmidt, OSC coach Bruno Genesio Lille and former Al Patech since 2010, continued its tradition of giving the baton to the big name.
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Setien was a midfielder who played for Spain in the 1980s and 90s, Atletico Madrid and Rasing Santander, and after retirement, he began his leadership career in the lower leagues and reached the top stage in Spain.
Setien, who wrote the remaining drama of Las Palmas in the 2015-2016 season, placed Real Betis in sixth place in the league in the 2017-2018 season and gave him a berth in the European Europa League. Setien, who drew the attention of big club Barcelona with his aggressive colors, took the helm of Barcelona, which was in a slump as Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde, in January 2020, causing a great rebound to lead the league to second place.
"After raising cattle in my hometown until yesterday, I now coach the best players in the world's biggest club," he said with emotion.
Setien, who left Barcelona for the first time in seven months, placed Villarreal fifth in the league in the 2022-2023 season. After being dismissed due to poor performance in September last year, he took a break for nearly a year.
Setien is expected to have a resourceful match with South Korean head coach Seo Jeong-won, Chengdu, Shandong, Nam Ki-il, Shanghai Port coach Kevin Muscat, and Shanghai Shenhua coach Leonid Slutzky in the 2025 season of the Chinese Super League.
yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
