Things at Camp Nou Stadium are hotter than ever, as president Josep María Bartomeu is facing legal action due to his unwillingness to pay severance checks to Quique Setién and his backroom staff.
The Blaugrana boss, who could be forced to step down as such if a censorship motion promoted by Barcelona's associates succeeds, has been exposed in a press release issued by Setién and the members of his staff, in which the coach has come clean about how he was fired and how the president has failed to come up with his severance payment.
The press release signed by Setién and Co. holds Bartomeu responsible for these wrongdoings, especially after firing them without any explanation or communication from the club until one month after their dismissal.
Here's the document issued by Setién. You will find the proper translation by scrolling down.
— Quique Setien (@QSetien) September 17, 2020
"Quique Setién, Eder Sarabia, Jon Pascua, and Fran Soto inform that, in light of recent publications made on our behalf, all of us would like to make the following statement:
After a month of absolute silence by Barcelona's board, and following several attempts to contact them on our behalf, it was only until yesterday when we received the first official communication of our situation with the club via a burofax. The document reveals the club's intentions to fail to comply the terms of the contracts agreed on January 14, 2020.
In my case, Quique Setién, it has been noted that the club and the president have informed about the termination of my contract with immediate effect on August 17. Nevertheless, the club failed to send me a proper document on the matter until yesterday (Sept. 16), one month after their public announcement, and with no financial compensation for it.
As for my backroom staff, the club informed them to their surprise about a further rellocation within the club until yesterday, one month after their initial sacking.
With all things considered, we have been forced to find legal advice and place this matter into our lawyers' hands in order to find a solution via legal action. Our only goal is to have Barcelona respect the agreement made with us back in the day of our hiring."
Setién and his staff replaced Ernesto Valverde as first-team boss following the team's woeful elimination from the Spanish Super Cup. Despite enjoying quite a start with the club, the team ended the season without any silverware and with a humiliating 8-2 loss against Bayern München in the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals.
