Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has backed Coach Quique Setien to deliver success to the club despite a poor run of form.
An own goal from Sergio Busquets in the last minute saw the Catalan giants eliminated from the Copa del Rey at San Mames, as Athletic Club Bilbao progressed through to the last four.
It followed less than a month on from Barcelona’s elimination in the Spanish Supercopa, with the possibility growing that the club finish the season without winning a trophy.
This week was the continuation of a period of underwhelming results since former Real Betis boss Setien replaced Ernesto Valverde – a recent league defeat at Valencia left the club three points off the summit of La Liga.
However, Bartomeu said the performance on Thursday night was not reflected in the result and he believes league and European success are both possible this season for the club.
“We had clear chances and played well,” Bartomeu told Barca TV, as cited by ESPN.
“We created a lot and I want to congratulate the players for how they played. They showed ambition and motivation.
“Athletic had one shot on goal at the end and won the game. We deserved to go through, but it wasn't possible. I reiterate that I liked the ambition shown by the team on the pitch, because it's a tough place to come and the home fans are on top of you.
“Now we have La Liga and the Champions League to focus on. Playing like that, I am sure success will follow.”
