The only title in Quique Setien's career was obtained as a footballer, wearing Atlético's shirt, and defeating, what things, Barcelona. It was a Spanish Super Cup. It was in 1985. 35 years ago. As a coach, however, he has yet to catch any cups . Over the next two months, he will try to change that.

Before he resumes his way in the Champions League, where the Barça team stayed in the knockout stage of the second round against Naples (1-1), Setién will have 11 league games to defend two points ahead of the classification. The new starting point appears this Saturday in the desert Son Moix, before a team, Vicente Moreno's Mallorca, who tries to survive in First Division with the same Second B skeleton . But he has also shown moments of outburst during the championship, such as the one that led him to beat Real Madrid in the first round.

In the telematic press appearance on Friday, Setién tried to depart, even if a little, from that pessimistic tone that has been accompanying him in the interviews given in the last month. Interventions in which he demanded one more week of group training before starting the competition - an idea that he reinforced this Friday by remembering that his team had only been able to play a preparation game "against ourselves ". Or when he assured that the new regulation of the five changes could harm his team due to the possibility that the rival would minimize fatigue due to Barcelona's long possessions. In this sense, the coach preferred to remain this time in the haze of uncertainty: «This is something that can be beneficial at certain times. But also harmful. Some say that the five changes benefit the greats. But maybe not.

Blind trust

There is a certain feeling among the Camp Nou gyrfalcons that there is no other choice but to trust Setien's good fortune, despite the fact that the 12 games led by the Cantabrian coach (eight wins, one draw and three defeats) left a marked trail of doubts after of itself. Including elimination in the Copa del Rey. Setién signed a contract last January until June 30, 2022, a link that includes a clause to be broken after the electoral process of 2021. And in Barcelona they do not hesitate to admit that this summer, given the critical economic situation that the entity lives, a change of coach would be difficult to assume . The objectives are achieved or not.

Setién will have no choice but to emulate traces of what was seen in the pre-pandemic stage, such as that first hour at the Bernabéu in a classic in which his team, however, ended up knocked down. "We will see if we improve or if we remain the same" , assumed the Barcelona coach, who was already reprimanded by Leo Messi when the Argentinean proclaimed that the team could hardly conquer Europe without improvement.

Luis Suarez returns

The return of Luis Suárez after five months of absence should contribute to this . Setién, who has not yet been able to line him up as coach of Barcelona and who evidenced the difficulties of Griezmann in his day, hinted that his only pure center striker could even be a starter against Mallorca: "Although he may not be there to play the whole game."

The coach will also have to decide what to do with one of his fetish footballers, Samuel Umtiti, who has already recovered from the injury suffered on the way back to training : “He is quite well, but it is logical that he lacks a little more rhythm than the rest of colleagues ». Lenglet sanctioned, Uruguayan Ronald Araújo opposes accompanying Piqué in the center of the defense.

As for Semedo, away from training last Thursday after skipping the health protocols, Setién assured that his presence in the team will not depend on that "carelessness." This is how the coach described it. Semedo was negative in the PCR test that he underwent this week .

Setién, before what comes to him, ended up resorting to the only possible axiom. «We have Messi, the best player in the world. And it may be the weight that tips the balance in our favor. Nothing changes .

In accordance with the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Quique Setién
  • Luis Suarez
  • Majorca
  • Spain Supercup
  • Real Madrid
  • Leo Messi
  • Europe
  • FC Barcelona

LaLiga Santander 2019 - 2020Messi: "Perhaps Setién misunderstood: we cannot win the Champions League as before the break"

LaLiga Santander 2019 - 2020Setién: "We would have needed one more week of training"

LaLiga Santander 2019 - 2020The signing of the 191 goals

See links of interest

  • Last minute
  • Spanish traslator
  • Programming
  • 2020 calendar
  • Horoscope today
  • League classification
  • Santander League Calendar
  • Movies today
  • Schools concerted
  • Masters 2019
  • Cutting notes
  • Rich from Spain
  • Universities Spain
  • Themes
  • Granada CF - Getafe
  • Elche - Extremadura UD
  • Fuenlabrada - Tenerife
  • Malaga - Huesca
  • TSG 1899 Hoffenheim - RB Leipzig