Setien on the Messi-Abidal crisis: It affects you, the press, not me

Setien on the Messi-Abidal crisis: It affects you, the press, not me

 El técnico azulgrana dio su versión sobre la guerra abierta por redes entre el astro argentino y el secretario técnico del club a raiz de una entrevista que concedió el francés al diario SPORT / | sport

The Barcelona coach is focused on the football, not anything else

Barcelona coach Quique Setien referred to the tense situation generated this week by the clash of words between club captain Lionel Messi and sporting director Eric Abidal over who was responsible for the sacking of the club's former manager. 

Setien stayed to the margin of the debate and also wanted to keep his players away from the controversy and focused purely on sporting objectives. 

"These things are important but they don't affect me," he said. "And I will try to make sure it does not affect the group and my players, either." 

Asked directly about the Messi-Abidal conflict, Setien added: "It's a situation that affects you (the media), not me. I focus on football and giving my players the tools to develop what they have inside. Nothing else interests me, 

"At any club of this size there are problems, but they're not things I can control. Talk to me about football, please. Everything else doesn't help me or my job. I won't waste my time on it." 

However, he did admit that "we spoke about the issue for one minute but the most important thing is Thursday's game against Athletic, that's what we are all focusing on." 

On Mess's mood, Setien added: "He was in good spirits this morning and smiling. He loves coming in and training and he was the same today as he was yesterday.

"He has the experience and the capacity to decide [what he does]. I am not going to get involved in his life -- or in anyone else's. I am not his father."

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