Barcelona manager Quique Setién has insisted Barcelona have enough in the tank to win this season’s Champions League, despite Lionel Messi appearing to doubt his team’s credentials.
The Argentine and his manager have had a few back-and-forths throughout the coronavirus shutdown, although it should be said most reports on the situation have overplayed it. Speaking to SPORT earlier this month, Messi explained that he never actually intended to doubt his team’s ability to win the trophy – and that Setién, who has previously responded his comments, had the wrong end of the stick.
“I think is that the coach misunderstood what I said or misunderstood what I wanted to say,” Messi said.
“I never doubted the squad we have and did not I have doubt that you can win all that is left, but not by playing in the way we were playing. Now, everyone has their opinion and they are all very respectable.
“Mine is based on the fact that I was lucky to play the Champions League every years and I know that it is not possible to win it by playing as we have been playing. My opinion is based on the fact that I was lucky to play the Champions League every year and I know it’s not possible to win it playing as we were playing.”
Setién, however, appears to have responded to those quotes, as the Mail source a beIN Sports article – albeit one which doesn’t actually include the quotes they’ve run with.
Helpfully, they’ve also omitted all of Messi’s quotes about misunderstanding, instead using just the final line, which seems far more dramatic with no context.
“Messi’s words I think have created a big debate,” Setién is quoted as saying.
“We are convinced that we can win the Champions League. We have to improve some things, but without a doubt we are convinced that the team has the potential to win the Champions League.
“We can win it. We are convinced we can win the Champions League, of course we can.”