A versatile player with good technique, he was capable of playing in several positions, but usually played as amidfielder orforward, and was also noted for his temperament and stamina. Starting in 1991 and ending in 2004, he represented bothReal Madrid andBarcelona with both individual and team success, appearing in more than 500 official games and scoring more than 100 goals. He appeared with theSpain national team in threeWorld Cups and oneEuropean Championship.
Luis Enrique started working as a manager in 2008 withBarcelona B, before moving toRoma three years later. In the2013–14 season he managedCelta, before returning to Barcelona and winning thetreble in hisfirst year and thedouble inthe second. In 2018, he was appointed Spain head coach for the first time before resigning for family reasons in 2019; he reassumed the position the same year and subsequently led the team to the semi-finals ofEuro 2020 and the second place in the2020–21 Nations League, resigning at the end of the2022 World Cup. In July 2023, he joined French clubParis Saint-Germain, claiming three trophies in his first season and four in his second including thefirst Champions League in their history.
Luis Enrique was born inGijón,Asturias, and began his career with localSporting de Gijón,[2] where he gained the nicknameLucho afterLuis Flores, a Mexican forward in the team.[3] He then spent most of his playing days with the two biggest Spanish clubs: firstReal Madrid for five seasons and,[4] in 1996, after seeing out his contract and notably scoring in a 5–0 home win againstBarcelona in January 1995, stating later he "rarely felt appreciated by the Real Madrid supporters and didn't have good memories there",[5] he moved to their fierce rivals at theCamp Nou on afree transfer.[6] The Catalans' supporters were at first hesitant about their new acquisition, but he soon won the hearts of theculers, staying eight years, eventually becomingteam captain and scoring several times inEl Clásico against his former employers;[7] he passionatelycelebrated at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium, where he grabbed his jersey after a 25-yard strike that beat the opposing goalkeeper.[8]
During his final years in Barcelona, Enrique was often injured, and did not want to renew his contract. He had been offered a deal by his first club Sporting, which he, however, declined, stating that "he wouldn't be able to reach the level he demanded of himself" and that "he wouldn't be doing Sporting much of a favour by going there."[13] His concerns about his level and fitness made him retire on 10 August 2004 at the age of 34,[13] and he finished his professional career with league totals of 400 games and 102 goals, being named byPelé as one of thetop 125 greatest living footballers in March.[14]
In the 1994 World Cup, held in the United States, Enrique scored his first international goal, in theround-of-16 3–0 win overSwitzerland inWashington, D.C.[17] In the 2–1quarter-final defeat againstItaly atFoxboro Stadium,Mauro Tassotti's elbow made contact with his face to bloody effect,[18] but during the match the incident went unpunished – Tassotti was banned for eight games afterwards;[19] when Spain met Italy atEuro 2008 on 22 June, to battle for a place in the semi-finals, Luis Enrique reportedly called for the team to "take revenge" for the 1994 World Cup incident by beating Italy.[20] Tassotti, an assistant coach withAC Milan at the time, told the newspaperMarca that he was tired of always being reminded of this incident, and that he had never intended to hurt the Spaniard.[21]
At the 1998 World Cup, Enrique played a major role in a 6–1 rout ofBulgaria in the last game of the group, scoring andassisting once and also winning apenalty, but the Spaniards were eliminated nonetheless.[22] On 5 June of the following year he scored ahat-trick, in a 9–0 win inVillarreal overSan Marino in theEuro 2000 qualifiers.[23]
On 23 June 2002, Enrique retired from international football, in order to give the younger players more playing time and focus only on his club.[24]
Having occupied several positions, Luis Enrique was most noted for his exceptional versatility and consistency. He was capable of playing anywhere inmidfield or along thefront line, and was fielded in all positions on the pitch throughout his career, except those ofcentral defender andgoalkeeper. A strong, courageous, energetic and hard-working team player, with good technical skills, flair and notable stamina, his usual position was as anattacking midfielder in the centre of the pitch, due to his ability to link-up the forwards and the midfield, or as aright winger, but he was capable of playing anywhere along the right flank, and was often deployed as an attackingfull-back orwing-back, or even as a left winger on occasion.
Due to his keen eye for goal and ability to make attacking runs into the box, Enrique frequently played as a forward, either in a withdrawn role as asecond striker behind the team's main goalscorer, or even as an out-and-outstriker orcentre-forward – he was also used in deeper midfield roles. In addition to his playing abilities, he also stood out for his commitment, temperament, determination and leadership.[3][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]
On 26 May 2008, Luis Enrique returned to Barcelona, taking over the reins ofthe B team, renamed Barcelona Atlètic forthat season.[35] As he succeeded long-time Barcelona teammatePep Guardiola, he stated:"I have come home", and"I finished playing here and now I will start coaching here."; in hissecond season he found success, helping the club return toSegunda División after an absence of 11 years.[36]
In mid-March 2011, Enrique announced he would leave at the end ofthe campaign, despite still having two years left on his contract.[37] He led the side to the playoffs, but they were ineligible for promotion.[38]
On 8 June 2011, Luis Enrique reached an agreement with ItalianSerie A clubRoma to become theGiallorossi's new head coach. He signed a two-year contract, being joined by a staff of four members, includingIván de la Peña who played two years for crosstown rivalsLazio, as technical collaborator.[39]
Even though he still had two years remaining on his contract, Enrique decided to leave Roma at the end of the season after failure to qualify for anyEuropean competition.[41][42]
On 8 June 2013, Luis Enrique becameCelta de Vigo's new manager, replacing former national teammateAbel Resino.[43] He led theGalicians to the ninth position in hisonly season, highlights including a 2–0 home win against Real Madrid that ended the opposition's possibilities of winning the league title.[44]
On 16 May 2014, Enrique announced that he would be leaving Celta.[45]
On 19 May 2014, Luis Enrique returned to Barcelona as a manager on a two-year deal. He was recommended by sporting directorAndoni Zubizarreta, his former national teammate.[46] His first competitive match was a 3–0 home league win overElche, where he handed debuts to new signingsClaudio Bravo,Jérémy Mathieu andIvan Rakitić, and gave youth productsMunir El Haddadi,Rafinha andSandro Ramírez their maiden league appearances for the club, while summer signingLuis Suárez was unavailable for selection due to suspension.[47]
Enrique suffered his first defeat in the competition on 25 October 2014, away against Real Madrid, and although Barcelona had a successful run in the year, his management came under scrutiny because of his tactics involving several lineup changes in consecutive games. Moreover, a quarrel withLionel Messi and other players further accentuated the team's poor form.[48]
Amid reports of dressing room unrest and after a defeat toReal Sociedad, Zubizarreta was dismissed in early January, weakening Enrique's standing at the club. A significant upturn in form followed, as a result of the coach deciding on a settled lineup with a tweak in the formation: Messi andNeymar now played as inverted wingers, while Suárez was the lone striker.[49][50] He soon equaled Guardiola's record of 11 consecutive victories,[50] while the side went on to beatAtlético Madrid andVillarreal convincingly in theCopa del Rey toadvance tothe final. In the domestic league, after eight wins in nine matches, they returned to the top of the table after 15 weeks.[51]
On 21 April 2015, Enrique recorded his 42nd win after 50 games in charge of Barcelona with a 2–0 victory overParis Saint-Germain, the best record of any manager.[52] He went on to lead the club tothe final of theUEFA Champions League and, on 17 May, led it to its 23rd national championship with one match to spare following a 1–0 win at theVicente Calderón against Atlético Madrid.[53][54] On 6 June, having earlier won the domestic cup againstAthletic Bilbao by the same score, the team sealed atreble with a 3–1 defeat ofJuventus in theChampions League final in Berlin,[55] and three days later he signed a new contract until 2017.[56]
On 11 August 2015, Barcelona won the2015 UEFA Super Cup 5–4 againstSevilla.[57] On 2 December, againstVillanovense in theCopa del Rey round of 32, Enrique decided against bringing on a new player following Mathieu's injury with 12 minutes to go even though two replacements could still be made, as the score was 6–1 at that time and the manager said he did not want to risk introducing players to the game without adequate warm-up.[58]
In his first two seasons, Enrique rotated his goalkeepers, with Bravo playing league games andMarc-André ter Stegen playing cup and European matches. Both players, however, expressed opposition to this policy.[59][60] A seconddouble was achieved on 22 May 2016, following a2–0 Copa del Rey victory overSevilla afterextra time in which the team played more than 50 minutes with one player less, following thedismissal ofJavier Mascherano.[61]
On 1 March 2017, Enrique announced that he would not continue as team manager after 30 June on expiration of his contract.[62]
Luis Enrique was named coach of the Spain national team on 9 July 2018, replacing former club and country teammateFernando Hierro.[63] His first match in charge occurred on 8 September, and he led the side to a 2–1 win againstEngland in theUEFA Nations League atWembley Stadium.[64]
In November 2019, Enrique rejoined the national team[65] after having quit his post for personal reasons four months prior.[66][67][68] Speaking to the press after his return, a visibly angry Enrique alleged his friend and colleague of six yearsRobert Moreno — who managed the national team after his resignation — was "disloyal" and wanted to hold on to his interim position.[69]
When Enrique selected a 24-manEuro 2020squad (despite being allowed 26) that contained no Real Madrid players, he was accused of having an anti-Madrid bias. Several high-profile omissions from his squad were seen as a way for him to assert control over the dressing room and the team.[69] However, he led Spain to the tournament's semi-finals, in which they lost against Italy onpenalties, after a 1–1 draw.[70]
At the2022 World Cup, Enrique's team were defeated in the round of 16 following another shootout, 3–0 againstMorocco.[71] In the wake of this performance, he stepped down from his position.[72]
One of the most successful managers of his generation,[83][84][85][86][87] Luis Enrique's incisive and direct football featuring quick transitions from defense to attack, though reliant on the front three of Messi, Suárez andNeymar, was in sharp contrast to the possession-heavy approach of Barcelona managers immediately prior to him.[88][89] Statistically, Luis Enrique's Barcelona, in his first two years at the club, were better than Guardiola's: Comparatively his team had scored more goals and conceded fewer, had a higher win percentage and won competitions at a similar rate.[90] Guardiola hailed them as the best counter-attacking team in the world.[49]
In his first two seasons at the Camp Nou, Enrique fielded a4–3–3 formation. Results improved after he stopped changing his starting eleven. The team's creative outlet was the wings with Neymar and Messi as inside forwards flanking Suárez, a departure from their usual playing style.Ivan Rakitić played a pivotal role in transitioning defense to attack, andAndrés Iniesta's influence withered, whileXavi, the club's captain, reduced to a part-time,substitute role. With overlapping full-backs offering width, Neymar and Messi often drifted in-field, encouraging midfielders, Rakitic and Iniesta, to move into channels and attack in and around the box. In his third and final year, struggling for form and results, the manager switched to a 3–4–3 offense morphing into a 4–4–2 defensive shape, reminiscent ofAntonio Conte'sPremier League winnersChelsea more thanJohan Cruyff'sDream Team, with Messi at the top of a midfield diamond, acting as chief play-maker, andSergio Busquets, the sole holding defensive midfielder, responsible for breaking the first-line of opposition press. The system favoured Neymar in particular, who played as a left forward, often cutting inside to link with lone striker Suárez, or to create an overload in the final-third sharing creative responsibilities with Messi. This change in formation was instrumental as they overcame 0–4, the biggest first-leg deficit in Champions League history, bydefeating PSG 6–1 in the second-leg; however, the physical and tactical discipline required to sustain a 3–4–3 proved controversial.[69][91][92][93][94][95][96]
Enrique continued to favour 4–3–3 for Spain, and at times the riskier 3–4–3 when the situation demanded, with the sole defensive midfielder in the pivot being the only commonality. Lacking the front three he had at Barcelona, his football retained positional and vertical aspects, though with box-to-box central midfielders, likeKoke orPedri, offering attacking thrust while the center forward dropped deep to bring wide forwards into play, accompanied by overlapping full-backs who offer width. Whilst pressing oppositions high-up, the center forward, usuallyÁlvaro Morata, screened the opposition defensive midfielder as wide forwards engaged opposition center backs. Spain's defensive midfielder, often Busquets, tracked the run of opposition attackers when they dropped deep, sometimes pressing higher than the team's other central midfielders. In possession, Spain usually started playing out from the back, to draw the opposition in, withThiago Alcântara or any other central midfielder, dropping alongside Busquets to help progress the ball forward. Should the opposition press aggressively, the full-backs linked up to offer additional passing options as the center backs go deep and narrow. Wide forwards made diagonal runs into the midfield to link play with those in front of them. Once the ball was progressed out of the defense, they adjusted their attacking rhythm to match the opposition's defensive structure, either opting for a speedy transition against a higher block or relying on a more positional approach play against a lower block. To mix it up, Spain initially played short passes in the defensive-third before playing long to the center forward who then attempted to bring outfield runners in to play. Wing play was used to stretch opposition and create spaces infield or create crossing opportunities, especially against compact defenses.[91]
"I do not treat all of my players the same, just as I do not treat all of my children the same. I have negotiated things with the players. On some things I have been permissive and on some I have been demanding. There are some rules that everyone must follow. That is one of my principles."
—Luis Enrique, speaking to the press after falling out with Messi in January 2015.[97]
Known for his brave and fearless management style, Enrique is quick to remove any influence that undermines his authority. Reports of his altercation with Messi at Barcelona and with Totti at Roma, both of whom wield considerable power at their respective clubs, being prime examples of that.[69] His flexibility in adopting different playing styles, while at odds with thepossession-based style synonymous with Barcelona, furthered this narrative, as he continued to remain unfazed in the face of criticism and pressure.[93]Royal Spanish Football Federation presidentLuis Rubiales, on the back of three consecutive unsuccessful tournaments, appointed him to curb ill-discipline and complacency in the squad, stating: "We are looking for an incontestable leader, who sets out the path, and nobody then strays from that path."[69]
Messi described Luis Enrique as one of the two best managers he played for, the other being Guardiola.[98] While Guardiola maintained that though he took on many great footballing sides as a head coach, Enrique's Barcelona andJürgen Klopp'sLiverpool were the best he ever faced.[99]
In comparing the coaches he played for, Spain international Alcântara said, "[Luis Enrique] has the analytical positioning of Pep [and] the aggressiveness of Klopp" while also praising Enrique's communication skills in conveying his footballing ideas.[100] He was regarded as one of the best managers in the world of his era.[101][102][103]
Luis Enrique married his longtime partner Elena Cullell on 27 December 1997.[107] Their youngest daughter, Xana, died ofbone cancer at age 9 on 29 August 2019.[108][109]
After retiring from football, Enrique lived for a while in Australia to practicesurfing. He took part in the 2005 edition of theNew York City Marathon, finished theAmsterdam Marathon in 2006, theFirenze Marathon in 2007 and theMarathon des Sables in 2008, while also entering and finishingFrankfurt Ironman in 2007. He was due to take part in the Klagenfurt Ironman competition in July 2008, but eventually declined due to his engagement as manager of Barcelona B.[110]
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