Setien steps down as Beijing Guoan coach with four matches remaining in season

Beijing Guoan announced on Sunday that Quique Setien has stepped down as head coach, after careful consideration, due to personal and family reasons. The club accepted the Spaniard's resignation, expressed gratitude for his contributions, and wished him all the best in his future endeavors.

Setien took charge at Beijing on December 10, 2024, and led the team in 32 official matches, recording 19 wins, seven draws, and six losses. Under his leadership, Guoan topped the CSL (Chinese Super League) table at the season's midpoint, but struggled to establish consistency in the latter stages of the campaign, effectively falling out of the title race.

With four matches remaining in the season, Beijing sit fourth in the CSL standings with 51 points from 15 wins, six draws, and five losses. Two-time defending champions Shanghai Port top the table with 57 points, followed by Chengdu Rongcheng with 55, and Shanghai Shenhua with 54.

Setien's final match in charge of Guoan ended in a 3-0 defeat at Australian side Macarthur in AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League 2 last Thursday.

The 67-year-old Setien started his playing career with hometown club Racing Santander, before later coaching several prominent Spanish La Liga teams, including Real Betis and Barcelona.