Copa del Rey exit gives Setien more time to work with Barça players

El Barcelona quedó apeado de la Copa del Rey en San Mamés y ahora su objetivo se centrará en la Liga y en la Champions. Pese a quedar fuera de una de las tres competiciones en las que el equipo barcelonista luchaba esta temporada, la eliminación de la Copa del Rey tiene una vertiente positiva para el Barcelona teniendo en cuenta las circunstancias en las que se encuentra. La The coach now has the chance to transmit his ideas to the squad

Barcelona were knocked out of the Copa del Rey at San Mames and now their objective is to win La Liga and the Champions League. 

Despite being eliminated from one of the three competitions they were fighting for this season, the defeat to Athletic Club is also being looked as positively based on the team's reaction to the week's events and their overall performance. 

Quique Setien's arrival as Ernesto Valverde as the new coach is still very recent and he's had very little time to introduce his ideas to the players. 

He has tried from the off, even canceling some pre-planned days off, but he needs more time to get things across and a full calendar has made that almost impossible so far. 

Despite that, there have been changes seen and there was no better example of that than at San Mames, even if the result was not what was wanted. 

MORE TIME 

Now, out of the cup, Setien will have more midweeks free to work exhaustively with his players and look to apply his ideas. That means more time. Barcelona now have a lighter calendar in February as they won't have to play a two-legged Copa del Rey semifinal. Instead, they can focus exclusively on the league and the Champions League. 

They will have two free weeks in February as well as the Champions League trip to Napoli and then, on March 1, the Clasico at Real Madrid, without forgetting Sunday's tricky trip to Real Betis. 

In total, they will have five games in 23 days. Before traveling to Napoli, Setien's side have only three games, all three on weekends. 

After Betis on Sunday, they have Getafe at home on Feb. 15 and then host Eibar a week later. Two weeks in which Setien can work with his players. Everything is now focused on those big games against Napoli (Feb.25 the first leg in Italy) and at the Santiago Bernabeu at the beginning of March.