Barcelona coach under no illusions
Troubled leaders' fans pining for previous boss, Setien knows they must keep winning
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BARCELONA • Before the coronavirus pandemic prompted the shutdown of Spanish football on March 12, Barcelona were top of La Liga and looking forward to home advantage ahead of their Champions League last-16, second-leg tie with Napoli.
However, the Nou Camp has been far from rosy this season, with the standings and European progression barely masking what has been a tumultuous period for them.
There was the social media scandal which damaged the club's reputation. Pubic relations company I3 Ventures oversaw "dozens" of accounts attacking current and former Barcelona stars, including Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Xavi Hernandez, Pep Guardiola and Carles Puyol, on Facebook and Twitter, before the partnership was terminated in February following accusations by Spanish radio station Cadena Ser Catalunya.
In April, six Barcelona directors, including two of its four vice-presidents Emili Rousaud and Enrique Tomba, quit over the club's handling of the fallout.
Things on the field have also run contrary to Barcelona's customary pleasing brand of football.
Despite successive league title triumphs, Ernesto Valverde was fired in January following growing discontent over consecutive failures in Europe, exacerbated by Barcelona's 3-2 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final.
But his replacement, Quique Setien, has some fans pining for his predecessor, as maligned as he was.
Sceptics questioned his appointment in January, claiming he was too much of a novice to take charge of a club like Barcelona. Ahead of their trip to Mallorca today, he remains under as much pressure as he was three months ago.
Barcelona have won eight of the 12 games under him, but the three losses suffered have come in key games - against Athletic Bilbao, which resulted in their King's Cup exit, in the Clasico with Real Madrid and at Valencia.
With Real breathing down their necks - they are two points behind on 56 with 11 games to play - and desperate to land their first league title since 2017, Setien knows he can ill afford more slip-ups.
He told reporters: "I think that we have to win every game if we want to be champions.
"Coaches depend on results, if I don't win then I know what happens, this is the profession I chose."
Yet many remain unconvinced he is the right man to implement the free-flowing style that Barcelona fans demand, especially with Xavi, who is the manager of Qatari outfit Al Sadd, reportedly waiting in the wings.
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SPANISH LA LIGA
YESTERDAY
Granada v Getafe
Valencia v Levante
Late kick-off
TODAY
Espanyol v Alaves 7.55pm
Celta v Villarreal 10.55pm
Leganes v Valladolid tomorrow, 1.25am
Mallorca v Barcelona tomorrow, 3.55am
TOMORROW
Bilbao v Atletico Madrid 7.55pm
Real Madrid v Eibar Monday, 1.25am
Sociedad v Osasuna Monday, 3.55am
MONDAY
Levante v Sevilla Tuesday, 1.25am
Betis v Granada Tuesday, 3.55am
All on Singtel TV Ch109 & StarHub Ch213
Former club great Rivaldo told Betfair yesterday: "At clubs like Barcelona, players must perform at their best from the start.
"A squad like Barcelona is much stronger than most of other teams and they can easily decide matches in just 45 minutes as they have tonnes of talent in their ranks compared to other clubs.
"It's their obligation to solve the matches from the first minute."
As was the case with Valverde, winning alone is not enough at a club like Barcelona. Winning nothing would be unthinkable.
MALLORCA V BARCELONA
Singtel TV Ch109 & StarHub Ch213, tomorrow, 3.55am