Our Quique Setien Biography tells you Facts about his Childhood Story, Early Life, Parents, Family, Wife, Children, Cars, Net Worth, Lifestyle and Personal Life.

In the nutshell, this is a Life Story of the Spanish football manager, from the earliest of days, to when he became famous.

To whet your autobiography appetite, here is a gallery of his early football years to his moment of fame — a perfect intro to Quique Setien’s Bio.

Yes, everyone knows the manager from a Cantabria family origin is a master of the “Tiki-Taka or Tiqui-Taca“. This is one of the reasons he won the interview to be FC Barca’s head coach.

However, only a hand few consider our version of Quique Setien’s Biography, which is quite interesting. Now, without further ado, let’s begin.

Quique Setien Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:

For Biography starters, he is nicknamed “El Maestro”. Quique Setien’s parents, after his birth, gave him the name “Enrique Setién Solar” and NOT the popular “Quique Setién” you know.

The Spanish Manager was born on the 27th day of September 1958 to his mum, in the Spanish city of Santander, Northern Spain.

Below is a beautiful panoramic view of Santander- Where Quique Setien’s Family came from.

Santander is a port city located west of Bilbao and famous for being the depot for European seafood.

Quique Setién’s family is said to be among the most popular Football centric families in the city.

Quique Setién grew up in a middle-class family background alongside his two brothers and parents. Did you know?… One of Quique Setien’s parents (his mum) lost her life while he was still a little boy.

Any child who has lived through losing a mum will know only too well the deep emotional pain and the damaging psychological consequences it can have. Sadly, this was what the FC Barcelona manager endured as a child.

Quique Setien Education and Career Buildup:

Moving on After Loss of Parent: Playing football in his family home garden with his dad and brothers became Quique Setien’s own source of solace away from his troubled reality of losing a mum.

Playing football has been the main meaning of his life since he was little. Asides from football, Quique Setien also learned to play chess with the help of his dad.

As time went on, the quest to receive a football education became more logical and prevailed over Chess. The quest for football education saw his dad enrolling on available football trials.

Around July 1972, at the centre of the Cold War, Quique Setien had already enrolled with SD Casablanca. After some time, he progressed to Perines, another local club in his hometown.

Back then, his ability to play was limited as he had no special talent. Quique Setien in his early days with football, still couldn’t control his addiction to Chess.

He decided to juggle between both sports. Thankfully, he excelled in both. Speaking about the experience, he once said;

“Although I was very enthusiastic about football and chess.

I knew all i  needed was a lot of effort to make progress in Chess.

Also, I didn’t have much time with football either.

There were times when I woke up at night, before the games, thinking of one chess movement or another.

I played chess for many hours while juggling it with football and working”

Lack of concentration as he juggled between Chess and football was the main reason why Setien was an average player during his academy days.

Because Quique Setién’s parents weren’t that rich, he decided to get a job. He began working at the College of Pharmacists and Santander at the age of 14.

The multi-talented prodigy worked, playing football and Chess in a more relaxed way. He juggled between these activities, securing his academy graduation.

Quique Setien Biography Facts – Career Life:

Setien started his playing career with hometown club Racing Santander, making his La Liga debut in 1977. He was an intelligent central midfielder who had a great eye for goals.

Early on, Setien admired his idols; Pele and Johan Cruyff who had become a legend, played for FC Barcelona at that time. Pictured below, he rose from an ordinary player to become a captain of the club.

Making use of his Chess knowledge, Quique Setién copied Cruyff’s tactical brain- Total Football and Fluid System style of play.

He read the game well even against big opponents like Barcelona. Did you know?… Setién got 5 wins against FC Barcelona during his playing career.

Quique Setién’s drive and determination are his most valuable assets during his playing career days.

Those who knew him back then would say his playing style combines the elegance of a Rolls Royce with the engine of a Mustang.

The midfield playmaker scored 95 times in 5 different clubs before finally hanging up his boots in the year 1996.

Quique Setien Biography – Road to Fame:

Even after retirement, the Cantabrian kept becoming a true lover of Johann Cruyff’s game philosophy.

He once reveals how everything changed for him after watching Barcelona play under Johan Cruyff who was the then manager of the club. This feat saw him following his idol’s footsteps as he made up his mind to become a coach.

Setien’s coaching career started with his family club Racing before he moved to fellow Segunda Division side Polideportivo Ejido.

In order to get a wilder coaching experience, he went to Central Africa, where he became an international manager for Equatorial Guinea.

The first break for the experienced Setien finally happened with Lugo where he guided them to the Segunda Division. That success saw him getting hired by Las Palmas- another club he helped to in their LaLiga survival.

Again, Real Betis took note of his success and appointed him as their manager. The club took advantage of his dispute with Las Palmas board, a development that led to him leaving the club for them (Betis).

While at Real Betis, Setien fully applied his Chess bound- Total Football and fluid system style of management majorly against bigger opponents.

Such FC Barcelona bound technique saw him having the highest share of Ball registered possession- 54%, 56.9%, 55.9% and 62.5% (respectively from 2015 to 2019).

As a hungry coach, Setién always waited for the time to play against Barça. Even while he had lost seven times, he waited to have a single Camp Nou win, one which came in a magnificent way.

Quique Setien Biography – Rise to Fame:

Behold, in November 2018, Quique Setien stunned Valverde’s men with a 4-3 victory at  Camp Nou.

It was a magnificent victory that made FC Barcelona players proud of Setien. There were claims that Quique Setien defeated FC Barcelona at Camp Nou with the aid of Chess.

Did you know?… Setien also received a signed shirt from Sergio Busquets afterwards with the Barca midfielder writing:

“For Quique with love and admiration for your way of looking at football. All the best.”

It was a win that helped him build his modest CV, which began attracting FC Barcelona starting in January 2019.

At the end of the 2018/2019 season, Setien helped Betis reach second-place ranking above Madrid in terms of the highest share of Ball registered (ball possession).

Having achieved this meteoric rise with Betis, FC Barcelona couldn’t resist having him, thus waiting for the right moment to sack Ernesto Valverde.

On 13 January 2020, Valverde was sacked by the FC Barcelona after a 3–2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Supercopa de España.

As expected, Setién was appointed as head coach of Barcelona that same day, replacing Ernesto Valverde after his dismissal.

The Former Betis man arrived with the humility and character, one that has always accompanied him throughout his life. According to UEFA, this is what Setién said after his appointment;

Yesterday I was out walking with cows in my village and today I’m coaching the best players in the world! I want to win everything I can. This club demands to get better each year and collect as many trophies as they can, and play well doing it.”

While many fans hope he doesn’t end like Santiago Solari, only time will tell on how he would manage this complicated position and be full of responsibility.

According to Goal, Lionel Messi will definitely be the ‘KING’ for chess-obsessive Quique Setien.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Quique Setien Relationship Facts:

With his rise to fame and becoming FC Barcelona coach, it is certain that football fans must have pondered if Quique Setién has a girlfriend or if he is a married man.

There is no denying the fact that his being a successful man wouldn’t make him have a woman (girlfriend or wife) by his side.

Truth is, Quique Setién is a full-fledged family man. Quique Setien’s Wife name is Rosa Manzanera and she is of similar Spanish family background with her husband.

Together, both lovers have two children; Laro who is 24 (as of January 2019) and little Sofia who is almost 11 (as of January 2020). Below is a lovely photo of Quique Setien’s wife, his first son Laro and Sofia who is the baby of the family.

Quique Setien’s wife, including himself are blessed with having a footballer in their son, Laro. Just like his dad, Laro is also a midfielder.

Did you know?… Laro embodies the third generation of professional players in his family lineage. His father and maternal grandfather were both footballers.

Laro’s maternal grandfather, José Antonio Lozano played football around the 1960s. It is possible to say that Quique Setien’s wife came into his life thanks to her dad who probably linked them up.

There is a good father-son bond shared between Quique Setien and his son. Knowing his dad would get the FC Barcelona job, Laro decided to sign for EU Sant Andreu, a Spanish football team based in the city of Barcelona in the district of Sant Andreu.

This decision came in a bid to stay close to his parents, especially his dad.

Quique Setien Personal Life:

As regards his personality off the pitch, it is fair to ask; Who is Quique Setien?… Now According to SportsMole, the experienced manager is someone who spends a huge chunk of his time playing chess after football duties.

Did you know?… Quique Setien is known to have played against former chess world champions Anatoli Karpov (pictured below) and Garry Kasparov, although the results of their meetings have not been disclosed.

Did you know?… Quique Setien’s family members and their love for chess date back to 1972. Fans have credited his strong IQ and managerial intelligence to be linked to his chess skills.

The second fact worth knowing as regards Quique Setien Personal life is his tremendous love for children. The super dad fulfilling the role of a parent to the little kids below.

Quique Setien Family Life:

Quique Setién’s wife is a native of Murcia. Rosa Manzanera is a selfless person who does nothing more than provide emotional support for her husband even though it means putting her own life on hold despite not being too fond of football.

Just like most managers, Quique Setién’s wife has always followed him in all his football adventures right from the days he was a nobody in coaching.

Quinque and his wife once approved Laro’s relationship with his girlfriend Paula Gomez. Pictured below, both parties ooze confidence in every one of her snap leaving fans with no doubt that marriage could be the next formal step.

Quique Setien Lifestyle:

Getting to know Quique Setien’ Lifestyle facts will help you get a better picture of his living standard. Starting off, Quique Setien lives an organized life, one that is devoid of irrational spending and possession of big mega mansions as houses.

Quique Setien’s refreshingly humble lifestyle can be summed up in the photo below. He was photographed in his descent home while eating his favorite Spanish-Style White Bean, Kale and Chorizo (or Garlic) Soup.

Quique Setien’s wife (Rosa Manzanera) also feeds with him Spanish tortillas which he loves very much.

Did you know?… Setien Lives a humble lifestyle and loves traditional Spanish dishes like this

Still probing Quique Setien’s Lifestyle, you might want to know What Car the football manager drives. While at Betis, Quique Setien welcomed Alfa Romeo car manufacturers to the club.

While players picked cars for reasonable discounts, he also had one for himself. Below is the humble football manager working with Alfa Romeo who test-drove his car.

Quique Setien Facts:

Football School: He owns a football school just like most retired footballers. All thanks to Quique Setien’s wife, the Spanish manager decided to situate his football school in her village.

Pictured below (and in his Personal Life section), he loves to get involved in training and improving the kids who see him as a father figure.

The Third Cantabrian coach to coach FC Barcelona: According to FC Barca’s website, Setien is the third Cantabrian coach in Barça’s history, after former managers; Enrique Orizaola (appointed 1961) and Laureano Ruiz (appointed 1976). He is certainly the first since the new millennium.

Religion: Quique Setien is most likely to have been raised a catholic, meaning he practices the Christianity religion. Now here is the fact about that buttresses this point.

According to SantanderTrade website, the city where Quique Setien’s family came from is made up of Catholics 77% (50% practicing).

While Muslims and Protestants are 3%, non-believers constitute 19%. Hence, it is very likely that Quique Setien’s wife including himself attends the catholic church.

Tattoo: Tattoo culture is very popular mostly among football players and less among managers as it is often used to portray one’s religion or the people they love. Quique Setien is one of those managers who prefer to be tattoo-free.

FACT CHECK: Thanks for reading our Quique Setien Childhood Story Plus Untold Biography Facts. At LifeBogger, we strive for accuracy and fairness. Asides from Setien’s Bio, we have other related stories for your reading pleasure. The childhood story of Ryan Mason, Ernesto Valverde, Andre Villas-Boas, will interest you.

If you find something that doesn’t look right, please share it with us by commenting below. We’ll always value and respect your ideas.