Enrique confirms he will step down at the end of season
barcelona — Barcelona coach Luis Enrique’s decision to remove any suspense over his future by confirming he will step down as coach after three trophy-filled but turbulent seasons at the Camp Nou at the end of the campaign was met with surprise on Thursday.
“Goodbye leader,” said the front page of Barcelona sport daily Mundo Deportivo in reference to Enrique’s announcement coming on the same night Barca overtook Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
Normally a combustible character, the 46-year-old calmly explained his reasoning for not seeking to renew his expiring contract after a 6-1 thrashing of Sporting Gijon on Wednesday.
Enrique cited the daily grind of the pressure as Barca boss and insisted he needs time to rest.
“Luis Enrique leaves as he has always been, faithful to who he is: unpredictable and indomitable,” said Barcelona-based newspaper Sport. “His announcement took almost everyone by surprise in a decision that was strictly his.”
However, it was the sudden nature of his announcement rather than the decision to leave that shocked the most. “In the summer he already told us he was considering this could be his final year,” said Barca president Maria Josep Bartomeu. The conclusion has merely been precipitated by a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain two weeks ago that leaves the Catalans needing a historic comeback in next week’s second leg to avoid elimination from the Champions League at the last 16 stage for the first time in 10 years.
Enrique told the players his decision just minutes before going public at the end of his post-match press conference on Wednesday. “We were all left a bit open-mouthed,” admitted midfielder Ivan Rakitic. However, undercurrents of disagreement with major figures in the dressing room have been a feature of Enrique’s time in charge.
Captain Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets criticised his tactical set-up in the demolition by PSG a fortnight ago. —