Setien: I don't have the CV but I guarantee my teams will play well
'Yesterday I was walking past the cows in my village, now I'm training the best players in the world'
Quique Setien is living a dream: 24 hours ago he was in his village and now he is the coach of Barcelona.
"Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined being here,” Setien told the gathered media at his presentation on Tuesday.
“It's all happened so quickly. Just yesterday, I was walking along beside the cows in my village; now I'm here training the best players in the world.
“It didn't even take me five minutes to accept [the offer]. Even though I'd read the press and knew it could be a possibility, I was surprised when I was told [it was happening].
“Honestly, I just could not imagine them going for me. I don't have an extensive CV, I've not won any trophies. The only thing I have, which I have demonstrated for many years, is this philosophy of football which I love.
“I have used that same philosophy wherever I have been, Look at my sides at Las Palmas and Betis, they played good football. Whenever I go to a new club, I only guarantee one thing: that they will play good football. I didn't know if that would be sufficient to convince such a big club to give me an opportunity, but I am extremely grateful.”
Setien joins Barca with the team sitting top of the league and safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League. He admits that it's unusual to be handed such a good job halfway through the season and thanked predecessor Ernesto Valverde for that.
“I am very grateful for the work done by Valverde,” he added. "I've been handed a team that's top of the league. That's not normal. In my situation, you imagine you will receive an offer from a team in problems and low in the table.”
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