Barca not Champions League favourites, says Koeman

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: BARCELONA TRAINING / NEWS CONFERENCE WITH BARCELONA COACH RONALD KOEMAN

SHOWS: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 19, 2020) (BARCA TV - MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO)

1. BARCA PLAYERS ARRIVING AT TRAINING SESSION

2. FORWARDS ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, OUSMANE DEMBELE AND DEFENDER CLEMENT LENGLET TALKING AT TRAINING SESSION

3. PLAYERS AT TRAINING SESSION

4. COACH RONALD KOEMAN WEARING FACE MASK AT TRAINING SESSION

5. FULL BACK SERGINO DEST AT SESSION

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCA COACH RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING:

"When you're at Barcelona you always want to be there fighting for trophies, be it in La Liga or Europe. There are more strong teams so we have to prove it. With everything that has happened lately we aren't the favourites, but we can go far."

7. FORWARD LIONEL MESSI AT SESSION

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCA COACH RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING:

"Right now, you could maybe say his performances could be better. But when you see him on a day-to-day basis, he's happy and training well, he is focused, wants to play and be the team's captain. I don't have any complaints."

9. MESSI TRAINING

10. GRIEZMANN, DEMBELE AND STRIKER MARTIN BRAITHWAITE TRAINING / STRIKER ANSU FATI PASSING THE BALL AND SMILING

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCA COACH RONALD KOEMAN, SAYING:

"We don't think it is going to be an easy game. By looking at the physics of the players and the team we'll put out a strong team to win the game. We are not thinking about resting people for Saturday because Saturday's game isn't important right now - the important one is tomorrow's game. We have to put out a strong team."

12. PLAYERS TRAINING

13. GRIEZMANN PASSING THE BALL AND DEST THROWING THE BALL TO DEFENDER GERARD PIQUE

14. MESSI THROWING THE BALL TO PLAYMAKER MIRALEM PJANIC

15. FORWARD FRANCISCO TRINCAO AT SESSION

16. PLAYERS AT SESSION

17. MIDFIELDER PHILIPPE COUTINHO AT SESSION, KOEMAN WATCHING PLAYERS TRAINING

18. GOALKEEPER NETO MURARA TRAINING

19. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCA GOALKEEPER NETO MURARA, SAYING:

"We have to be very respectful. Everybody knows that every team facing Barcelona try to give their best and show their best because it is a great opportunity. We know that they had to go through the qualification stage, defeating quite strong rivals, they deserve to be there."

20. DEMBELE SMILING AT SESSION

21. KOEMAN AT SESSION

22. PIQUE TRAINING

23. PLAYERS TRAINING

24. GRIEZMANN RUNNING AT SESSION

25. COUTINHO JUGGLING THE BALL

26. FATI HELPING GRIEZMANN STAND UP

27. PLAYERS WAITING FOR MIDFIELDER RIQUI PUIG

28. PUIG RUNNING THE GAUNTLET IN TRAINING

STORY: Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman admitted on Monday (October 19) that his side are not amongst the favourites for this season's Champions League.

Talking before Tuesday's (October 20) visit of Hungarian side Ferencvaros, Koeman played down talk that the Catalans go into this season's European Cup expecting to lift the trophy.

"When you're at Barcelona you always want to be there fighting for trophies, be it in La Liga or Europe. There are more strong teams so we have to prove it. With everything that has happened lately we aren't the favourites, but we can go far," he told a news conference.

Barca's recent Champions League failings - they have just one semi-final appearance since last winning the competition in 2015 - were cited by many as Lionel Messi's main reasoning for attempting to leave the Nou Camp in the summer.

The Argentine has frequently voiced his desire to lift the trophy again and this could be a final chance to do it with Barca as his current contract expires next summer.

"Right now, you could maybe say his performances could be better," Koeman said of his captain.

"But when you see him on a day-to-day basis, he's happy and training well, he is focused, wants to play and be the team's captain. I don't have any complaints," he said.

The game comes just four days before the first Clasico meeting of the season against Real Madrid, however Koeman insisted his side are only focusing on the Champions League for now.

"We don't think it is going to be an easy game. By looking at the physics of the players and the team we'll put out a strong team to win the game ," he said.

Koeman will be without regulars Jordi Alba, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and long-term absentee Samuel Umtiti for the game

(Production: Silvio Castellanos)