Luis Enrique Steps Down
Luis Enrique on his Barcelona unveiling
Newly appointed Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has announced his resignation from the position of Barcelona manager with immediate effect.
The Spaniard, only confirmed the new boss of the Catalan giants two weeks ago, has shocked the footballing world with his sudden decision to leave the post that he seemed delighted with when he was unveiled.
A short statement on www.fcbarcelona.com said that the search for a new manager would start with immediate effect so they had someone appointed before the start of the new season.
We are sad to announce that new appointed boss Luis Enrique has asked to resign from his position as FC Barcelona manager with immediate effect. We want to thank Luis for the work he has done for the club in the short period of time he has been with the club in this capacity. We will start a search immediately for a new manager to make sure very little time is lost this season.
Who is Luis Enrique?
Luis Enrique playing for Barcelona
Enrique started his career in football as a player; with his hometown club Sporting Gijón in 1988, turning out for their B team for two years before making the step up to the first team in 1989. Making his name as a right winger, he went on to play thirty-six times for Gijón, netting fourteen times, before securing a move to one of the biggest clubs in Spain – Real Madrid – in 1991.
His stay with the Los Blancos lasted five years, in which he played one-hundred-and-fifty-seven league games and scored fifteen. Once his contract with Real expired in 1996, he signed with rivals Barcelona on a free transfer, and despite sceptical views at first from the Catalan club’s supporters given his time with their fierce rivals, he quickly cemented a place in the culers' hearts, staying eight years with the club, eventually becoming team captain and scoring several times in El Clásico against his former employers; whilst with Real Madrid, he notably scored in a 5–0 home win against Barcelona, but stated later he "rarely felt appreciated by the Real Madrid supporters and didn't have good memories there".
In his first three seasons with Barcelona Luis Enrique netted 46 La Liga goals, with Barça finishing runner-up in 1996–97 and subsequently winning back-to-back domestic championship accolades. Furthermore, he was named Spanish Player of the Year by El País in the following campaign. He also scored the opening goal in the 1997 UEFA Super Cup, a 3–1 aggregate triumph against Borussia Dortmund.
During his final years in Barcelona Luis Enrique was often injured, and did not want to renew his contract. He had been offered a contract by his first club Sporting, which he, however, declined, stating that "he wouldn't be able to reach the level he demanded of myself" and that "he wouldn't be doing Sporting much of a favor by going there." His concerns about his level and fitness made him retire on 10 August 2004 at the age of 34, and he finished his professional career with league totals of 400 games and 102 goals.
He also played for his nation, Spain, during his career, earning sixty-two caps between 1991 and 2002.
Luis Enrique |
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Born: Gijón, Spain, 8th May 1970 (aged 45) Clubs Played for: Sporting Gijón (1988-1991); Real Madrid (1991-1996); Barcelona (1996-2004) Clubs Managed: Barcelona B (2008-2011); Roma (2011-2012); Celta (2013-14); Barcelona (2014) |
In June 2008, it was announced - four years after he hung up his boots – that he would be the successor of Pep Guardiola as manager of Barcelona B. He had success in charge of the side, helping the club return to Segunda División in his second season, after an absence of 11 years.
In mid-March 2011, Luis Enrique announced his departure from Barcelona B at the end of the campaign, despite still having two years left on his contract. He led the side to the playoffs, but it was ineligible for promotion.
He then joined Italian side AS Roma in June 2011, signing a two-year deal with the Italian giants. His spell ended after Enrique decided to leave the club at the end of the season, as the Il Giallorossi didn’t qualify for a European competition.
In June 2013, Enrique made his return to management and to Spain, as he signed a two-year deal to manage Celta de Vigo. He led the Galicians to the ninth position in his first and only season, highlights including a 2–0 home win against Real Madrid that ended the opposition's possibilities of winning the league title. On 16 May 2014, he announced that he would be leaving Celta.
On 19 May 2014, it was announced that Luis Enrique would return to Barcelona as a manager, after he agreed to a two-year deal. He was recommended by sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, his former national teammate. However, this spell only lasted a few weeks, after he announced his resignation.
Potential Successors
Manager | Pep Guardiola |
Michael Laudrup |
Rafa Benitez |
 |
 |
 |
|
Age |
43 |
49 |
54 |
Trophies Won: |
19 |
4 |
13 |
The front-runner to take over is thought to be current Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, who is reportedly keen on a return to the club where he had so much success as both a player and manager. Other contenders are thought to be former player Michael Laudrup and Napoli boss Rafa Benitez.
Please note for a period of about two weeks, this will not be updated regularly, but after that, I should be ready to go!
