Mauricio Pochettino expected to take over at Barcelona

Quique Setien's tenure as Barcelona coach is set to come to an end in the coming days following Friday's humiliating 8-2 Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.

Barca were chasing their first Champions League triumph since 2015 but, having already missed out on the La Liga title, were ruthlessly exposed by Bayern as they suffered their biggest ever European defeat.

The Champions League was Barca's last chance of silverware this season after they missed out on La Liga to Real Madrid last month, but defeat means a first trophy-less season at Camp Nou since since 2007-08.

The loss was the final nail in Setien's coffin, but sources say decision to replace the coach had already been taken prior to the Bayern game.

Report on Friday said that the overriding feeling among the Barca hierarchy is that Setien, hired in January, has failed to win the dressing room because of his relatively limited achievements as both a player and a coach.

Barca want their next appointment to be a name that garners immediate respect among the players, with Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and Xavi Hernandez among the early front runners for the role.

President Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed changes will be coming after defender Gerard Pique called for a rebuild from top to bottom following the "unacceptable" performance against Bayern, but he wouldn't comment on Setien's future.

The fallout from Barcelona’s calamitous routing by Bayern Munich is almost certainly going to see the Spanish side scramble quickly for a new appointment to replace Quique Setien. An 8-2 mauling has led to an urgent need for a change, and Spanish newspaper Marca claims that former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is favourite to take over.

***: Pochettino has previously said that he would not entertain taking a job at Barcelona because of his history with Espanyol, but most people would understand if he were to go back on his word given he is unemployed, and a theoretical offer is harder to turn down compared to the real thing. It is hard to see how one manager could overhaul the mess they find themselves in, though.

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