Ex-Barcelona coach Setien suing club over contract

Former Barcelona coach Quique Setien and three of his assistants announced on Thursday they are suing the club for failing to fulfil the terms of their contracts after being sacked last month.

In a joint statement with assistants Eder Sarabia, Jon Pascua and Fran Soto released on his official Twitter account, Setien said he had only received written notice of the termination of his contract on Sept. 16, having been sacked on Aug. 17.

He said he had not received any compensation from the club a month after being sacked.

The statement added that Setien's three assistants had not received any compensation either but had instead been offered a "future relocation" inside the club.

Barca declined to comment.

Setien's complaint piled yet more pressure on president Josep Maria Bartomeu less than an hour after a group seeking his removal announced they had gathered enough signatures to force a vote of no-confidence against him.

Setien was appointed Barca coach in January after Ernesto Valverde was dismissed but he was sacked in August after the team ended the season empty-handed and lost 8-2 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, their worst ever defeat in European competition.

"After a month of absolute silence from Barcelona's board of directors, and after diverse demands on our behalf, we did not receive any communication from the club until receiving a letter yesterday via burofax (recorded delivery)," said the statement.

"Said letter revealed the clear intention from the club to not comply with contracts we signed on Jan. 14 2020."

The statement added: "Given everything expressed above, we have felt the need for our lawyers to find a solution to this conflict and take the corresponding legal action, in order to preserve our rights and everything we had previously agreed with Barcelona."