The former Real Betis boss has been appointed as
successor to Ernesto Valverde at Camp Nou and is
looking forward to getting to work Quique Setien admits he could not have imagined
landing the Barcelona job in his “wildest dreams”, with the new man at the Camp Nou helm having
gone from “walking past the cows in my village to
training the best players in the world”. The former Real Betis boss has been handed a contract by the reigning La Liga champions through
to the summer of 2022 . He has been asked to fill the void created by Ernesto Valverde’s dismissal , with a two-time title winner relieved of his duties in a stunning turn of
events.
Barca had approached former captain Xavi about
inheriting the reins, after seeing him cut his
coaching teeth in Qatar, but were ultimately forced to look elsewhere for a new manager. That search led them to Setien, with the 61-year-old
admitting that he is still having to pinch himself at taking on one of the most prestigious roles in
world football . He told reporters as his official unveiling: “First of all
I want to thank this institution, the president, [Eric]
Abidal and Ramon [Planes] for the opportunity they
have given me to come here. “Not even in my wildest dreams could I have
imagined this, that I would be here. “I am somebody who is very emotional and today
is a very special day for me. But, first things first, I
have to thank the club and the next thing is that
I’m excited about this challenge and this project. “Yesterday I was walking past the cows in my
village, now I'm here training the best players in the
world.” Setien has already met with the star-studded squad
that he will be working with and is expecting to
have no problems in getting his message across to
Lionel Messi and Co. He added: “I have spoken with the players, we
have had our first contact with one another and the
willingness that they have is extraordinary. “We’re absolutely sure that we’re going to
understand each other very quickly because a lot
of things that we are going to propose to them,
they already know. “There are many things we are clear about and we
are going to try to transmit them and make sure
they are not just words. The demands and
standards of this club ask that of you constantly.” Barca are considered to have turned to Setien as he
is an admirer of the Johan Cruyff school of
coaching. He will be expected to preserve the ideals of an
iconic side in Catalunya, with that cause set to be
aided by the presence of world-class talent such as
club captain Messi. Setien said of working with the six-time Ballon d’Or
winner and the other high-profile figures now at
his disposal: “I have enjoyed myself watching Barca
and these players over the last few years. “I'm still not entirely conscious of what it means to
coach the best player in the world. One thing is
admiration and another thing is that everyone has
to be in their place.”