New Barcelona manager Quique Setién has a break clause in his contract which would allow him to leave the club at the end of the current season.
Setién replaced former boss Ernesto Valverde as Barça manager late on Monday evening, penning a two-and-a-half year deal to tie him to La Blaugrana until the summer of 2022.
However, as noted by ESPN’s Moi Llorens, Setién will not necessarily make it to the end of his contract as there is a clause in his deal which would allow either Barcelona or Setién himself to terminate it at the end of the current season.
The break clause also includes options to part ways at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, as well as in the summer of 2022 when Setién’s current contract would expire.
What that means is Barcelona will have plenty of chances to move in an opposite direction and pursue other managerial targets between now and the expiration of Setién’s deal.
Before Setién’s arrival, it was thought that Al Sadd boss Xavi Hernández was their top target, and Barcelona were even believed to have offered their former midfielder the same two-and-a-half year deal which was eventually handed to Setién.
Xavi rejected that offer but is still hopeful of sealing a return to Camp Nou in the summer, and the break clause in Setién’s contract means Barcelona could put that plan into action with ease.
It is a similar story with Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman, who has his own break clause which would allow him to move to Barcelona following the conclusion of Euro 2020.
Barcelona have given themselves plenty of security with this deal for Setién, giving them the opportunity to recruit either Xavi or Koeman whenever they want over the next two-and-a-half years.
In the meantime, Setién will take charge to try and lead Barcelona to the La Liga title, and he will get his Camp Nou career underway with a meeting with Granada on Sunday.
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