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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Ben Hayward

Barcelona coach Quique Setien dreams of 'showing Champions League trophy to the cows' in his village

Barcelona coach Quique Setien has said he dreams of winning the Champions League and showing the trophy to the cows in his village.

Setien's Barca side drew 1-1 away to Napoli in the teams' last-16 first leg in late February, with the return match postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

The game in Naples was his debut in the competition after he took over from Ernesto Valverde in January, but he told TV3: "I say it a lot to the players, that I'm in a hurry. I don't have much time to lose and I would like to win the Champions League and LaLiga. If possible, both. All the better."

Asked if he had dreamed of winning those trophies, he said: "Of course I have dreamed it. And of taking a walk through Liencres (his village) with the cows and the Champions League and showing it to them..."

On the current situation in LaLiga, he said: "What I would like is to play and to be champion by playing, that's obvious. But the situation is as it is. I don't know if it would be valid (to finish the league as it is, with Barcelona as champions), but I'm indifferent.

"I won't feel like a champion by having two points more (than Real Madrid, with 11 rounds of matches still left)."

Setien signed a two-and-a-half year contract on arrival at Camp Nou, although the final year is optional because of presidential elections at Barca next summer.

"I have a contract fixed for a year and a half and one more, which is conditional," he said. "I hope to fulfil it and then renew."

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