Barcelona coach, Quique Setién, talks about his time in Barcelona so far, the team and his return to work.
The first team of the Catalan club has started training in groups, Quique Setién talked in an interview with Bein Sports MENA about the return to competition, which is edging closer, “I understand that La Liga will end up resuming. It is scheduled, there are no cases and infections that can prevent the development and I prefer to finish it.”
The return to training
Quique Setién highlights he has seen his players enthusiastic and with a desire to train, he also says that he is very happy with the disposition of the players.
“These first training sessions have been very stimulating. We are very happy with the players, their enthusiasm and desire in their work, even though they have had no physical content during these first two weeks.”
“Now we have begun to use more the ball, and I am happy with the disposition of all,” said the Cantabrian.
Squad
Barcelona had longterm injuries as the main problem at the beginning of the year, with Dembélé and Luis Suárez away from the fields for several months and hence the signing of the Danish Martin Braithwaite concluded. On the return to training, Samuel Umtiti suffered one more injury.
“Suarez is doing very well, working with the group, he is doing practically everything with his teammates. But he has been gone a long time after the operation, so he must go slowly.”
“Dembélé and Umtiti? They have had a lot of injuries like I did when I was young. With the progress that is today, they will recover soon and will contribute a lot to the team.”
The squad of the first team will be almost complete for the return of LaLiga and the great work of all the players makes things difficult for Quique Setién by having to select only eleven players to start.
“I need all the players, we don’t know how the circumstances will develop when the competition starts again. I count on everyone and I hope they can perform at their best.”
“Everyone has done well, with an exemplary attitude, and I will have trouble selecting the first XI for Mallorca.”
Champions League
LaLiga already has the green light from the government for its punctual resumption, after that, the next step would be to know more about the return of the Champions League. Barcelona was about to dispute the return of the round of 16 in the Champions League, hosting Napoli at Camp Nou, after a draw to one in San Paolo. Despite being on the right track, it was not reflected in the feelings.
“The reality is that we are all convinced that we want to win the Champions League. You always have to improve a lot, but the team has enough raw material to win it.”
“It is a competition that has a special meaning. I give more importance to the league because it has more merit to be competing every week, but the Champions League symbolically has a lot of prestige and everyone wants to win it. I would love to win it, it would be a dream. More than for me, for the joy we would give to many Barça fans, to this city, to this club. It would be very nice,” he stated.
First months in Barcelona
Quique Setien’s first months at the helm of Barcelona have been interrupted by the pandemic, however, the Cantabrian coach talks about his two months at Barça achieving his dream move.
“It’s been a very positive two months. Training Barça has been fulfilling a dream, an objective that one has in life when I’ve decided to be a coach, and more in my case in that I have always been a follower of this team and its way of playing. Two exciting months lived intensely. I am very happy to be here and how things have gone.”
