Barcelona's hopes of winning LaLiga Santander are mathematically over, yet Quique Setien feels it is important to end the season with a win in order to go into the Champions League in good spirits.

A disappointing 2-1 defeat at Osasuna has heaped more doubts on the coach and the team, and Setien admits the team must bounce back.

"Thinking about the European game, the feelings we have going into the [Alaves] match have to be good," he said during his press conference

"Tomorrow is an important game in which we must bounce back to reinforce ourselves and think about the future."

Setien and president Josep Maria Bartomeu had a meeting in the week, but the coach insists it was a constructive one.

"The concern we all have for improving is evident, we try to find solutions so that things change," he said.

"That is what the meeting consisted of, that is the reality of preparing for the future.

"We must try to focus on what's left which, in the Champions League, we hope it is a lot.

"We haven't won the league but we have a very attractive challenge ahead of us."

Leo Messi was particularly outspoken after the defeat on Wednesday to Osasuna, and Setien feels his captain had a point about not having a chance to win the Champions League if they continued to play in the same way.

"It is true that if we play as badly as in the last games, obviously it is not going to give us a chance to win games," he stated.

"But we have also had great moments and if we play like that it can give us a chance to win it.

"We are all aware that there are many things to improve. We must be more consistent and more reliable. This is the reality.

READ ALSO:

Iker Casillas returns to Real Madrid

"If we manage to put in a display like at Villarreal, where everything went well, it will surely give us a chance to win the Champions League.

"We must be more reliable during the 90 minutes and convince ourselves that If we give our best, of course, we can win the Champions League."

Setien dismissed the notion that Messi's words were aimed at him specifically.

"No, not at all," he said of the suggestion.

"We all say things that are misinterpreted badly and others well, it is a daily occurrence.

"I do not give it too much importance. We all need a rest, to clean our minds. We will try to think in this way."

Setien also shrugged off the idea that the Villarreal performance was a one-off.

"The Villarreal game was the best we have played and in the rest, we have had phases that were very good," he said.

"We are happy with many things, but we are aware that we have to improve many other things. Not everything has been a disaster.

"We deserved to win more games than we have won.

"I am clear that there are many things that we can salvage for the future."

Despite the problems and question marks over the team, Setien has no plan to quit.

"The day I arrived, I said I was going to enjoy it until the last day," he said.

"I'm still enjoy it despite the circumstances and I never thought that this would be easy.

"Defeat is always a chance to overcome. I am not experiencing anything that has not been experienced before.

"At no time have I had the feeling of wanting to leave."

MARCA