By Afolabi Adetunji Lagos, Nigeria.
Barcelona football coach Luis Enrique says he wants to opt out from his role as manager of the club. He has refused to extend his contract with the club.
During his first year in Barcelona, he did tremendously well. He won the league title La Liga, league cup Copa Del Rey, UEFA champions league, European super cup and the Club World Cup. But following this great achievements, he has struggled to replicate these victories at the club. His later reign at the club has not been as mouth-watering as his first.
Barcelona trio-attackers Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all on the score sheet as they took Sporting Gijon apart at Camp Nou yesterday. Paco Alcacer, Ivan Rakitic and an own goal from Juan Rodriguez rounded off the score. The only man to put his name on the score sheet for Sporting Gijon was Carlos Castro. The match ended in 6 goal to one in favour of Barcelona.
But shockingly after the match, Luis Enrique stated that he will leave the club when his contract with the club expires in the summer. Other previous managers who had managed the club before now had their reasons to leave the club. Pep Guardiola left unhappily but wanted the German football challenge, Gerardo Martino was rendered redundant by the club. But as it seems in the case of Luis Enrique, he is just fed up and listless with the affairs of the club and needs relaxation. Enrique said in a statement “The reasoning is that i live my job searching for solutions and this gives me a little rest.” He continued, “In the pre-season i had a meeting with Albert Soler and Robert Fernández in which i let them know in advance that there was the possibility i wouldn’t renew my contract. They told me there would be no rush to take my decision. This moment has arrived. I announce it now…”.
Already the sporting director Robert Fernández is already on the look out for a replacement. Some of the managers that are likely to fill the will soon be vacant position are Ernest Valverde and Ronald Koeman.
But the Board of the team has enough time to decide on who takes charge after Luis Enrique resigns. Meanwhile, Enrique is expected to turn the huge deficit the club suffered in the hands of the French club PSG in the UEFA champions league into a remarkable victory in the second leg at Camp Nou on Thursday, 9 March.
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