Luis Enrique made a defiant claim that he represents Barcelona’s style better than Xavi in a brutal dig at the current Blaugrana manager.
♦ Enrique has a storied relationship with Barca
♦ Won five trophies in 2015
♦ Claimed that his style is more suitable to Barcelona than Xavi’s
WHAT HAPPENED?
The daggers are drawn before two of Europe’s biggest teams renew hostilities in the Champions League. And seven years after leaving the hot seat at Camp Nou, following an illustrious stint, Enrique finds himself going up against the same team that he holds close to his heart.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
However, friendships and personal affinities would take a backseat over the 90 minutes on Wednesday evening when Paris Saint-Germain will host Barcelona. As the anticipation builds, shots have been fired by Enrique towards his opposite number in a triumphant claim that his football philosophy is more aligned with Barcelona’s heritage and style than Xavi’s.
WHAT ENRIQUE SAID
“Without a doubt, it’s me,” Enrique told reporters. “It’s not an opinion, look at the statistics, in terms of possession, chances, pressing, trophies… Others might have a different opinion, but it’s definitely me. My love story with Barcelona goes back many years, but my profession comes first.”
When further pressed on whether his knowledge of Barcelona and Xavi will be an advantage he said: “I’ve known him (Xavi) as a teammate, as my player, but not as a coach. I know the club very well, but I don’t know whether it’ll be an advantage.
“Nobody can say that this Barcelona team is weak, they are strong. They’re doing well going forward, they have good players, and they’re a club with a lot of experience, having already won five titles. It’s not easy, but I’m feeling motivated.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Enrique was on the verge of winning the sextuple in 2015 but fell short by a whisker after being denied by Athletic Club in the Supercopa de Espana. Nevertheless, he oversaw an extremely successful spell in the history of the club winning nine trophies in three seasons.
WHAT NEXT?
Enrique has now been tasked to lead PSG to their first-ever Champions League trophy after repeated disappointments in recent years despite spending big bucks on assembling a blockbuster star cast. The Parisians beat Real Sociedad 4-1 on aggregate in the round of 16 and powered by an indomitable Kylian Mbappe, the French champions are dreaming of conquering Europe.