MADRID, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- New FC Barcelona coach Quique Setien said on Tuesday that he had swapped the cowfield for the Camp Nou at his official presentation by the club.
The former Lugo, Las Palmas and Betis coach was named new coach with a contract to June 2022 late on Monday after Ernesto Valverde's sacking after two and a half years in charge at Barca and he inherits a side that is top of the Liga Santander.
"I want to thank this institution for giving me the chance, not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this. I have to thank the club. I'm excited about this challenge and this project," he said as he faced the press.
The new Barca boss had been out of work since his sacking by Betis at the end of last season and admitted the appointment had taken him by surprise.
"Yesterday, I was walking around my home town with cows around me and now I'm here at Barcelona managing the best players in the world," he continued, saying he wanted to "thank Ernesto Valverde for leaving me with a side that is top of the league."
Setien also set his sights high for the rest of the campaign saying his "objective is to win everything! Everything you can win, this club has no other path to follow."
"That is the biggest thing I have to transmit to the players. I have to show the players that and normally it's not very complicated for me to transmit that," said the 61-year-old.
As a player Setien was a stylish and skillful winger, while as a coach he has earned a reputation as a follower of the passing game developed by Barca legend Johan Cruyff and he promised to remain true to a style that many had accused Valverde of partially abandoning.
"I want to win as many trophies as possible year after year and I think the best way to victory is by playing good football. It doesn't always happen but it's not just about one day, it's about keeping it going," he commented.
Setien's Barca debut will be a home league game against Granada this weekend.
