Luis Enrique - His Barcelona legacy

When Pep Guardiola announced that he was quitting Barcelona back in 2012 he claimed he did so because, “Four years is an eternity as a Barcelona coach and I need to recharge my batteries.”  Now, almost exactly four years later, the current incumbent of the Camp Nou hot seat has declared his intention to step aside this summer, with Luis Enrique citing the need to rest following three seasons of, “Incessant searching for solutions and improvements to the team.”

Enrique took over at a difficult time for Barcelona; losing not only Guardiola to his sabbatical but replacement Tito Vilanova, who tragically passed away a year prior to his appointment. Outgoing coach, Gerardo Martino, stepped down after a single season in charge, finishing second in both La Liga and the Copa Del Rey; Barcelona needed to get back to winning ways and in turning to former player Luis Enrique, they found a man from a similar mould to Guardiola.



Enrique’s free transfer from fierce rivals Real Madrid in 1996 would see him become team-mates with Guardiola until 2001, with Pep moving on to Italian side Brescia as his career began to wind down. Enrique, on the other hand, would go on to captain Barcelona although his final two seasons in Catalonia were hampered by injuries until his eventual retirement at the age of just 34 years old in 2004. It’s not incomprehensible that both men shared similar work ethics and ideas, forged from several years as team mates as they studied the game ahead of their eventual transition into management.

Now, time can dull many things; memories and emotions but also ideals, such as standards, something which Guardiola had worked so hard to embed and instil into the fabric of the club; fines for lateness, strict dietary conditions, eating together, and personal curfews, just some of the standards brought in which also saw the departures of illustrious names like Ronaldinho, Deco, and Samuel Eto’o as they were shown the door. In Enrique, Barcelona had a man who would ensure those standards remained.

When Guardiola left, you could not blame Barcelona supporters for being concerned about the future, after all the greatest manager in their history had gone and left an honours list of 3 La Liga titles, 2 Copa Del Rey, 3 Supercopa de Espana, 2 UEFA Champions League titles, 2 UEFA Super Cups, and 2 FIFA Club World Cups; 14 major honours in 4 seasons.

While Tito Vilanova, a man perfectly placed to carry on Pep’s work due to his time as assistant, would ensure Barcelona remained champions of Spain in his single season in charge, his sad passing due to illness left Barcelona without a standard bearer, someone who knew how to work the Pep way and after the disappointment of the short lived Martino era, Enrique returned Barcelona to winning ways; 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copa Del Rey, 1 Supercopa de Espana, 1 UEFA Champions League, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup … plus let’s not forget he’s still in charge until the summer and has just led Barcelona to the top of La Liga, having been chasing the once invincible looking Real Madrid for months. Further glory could be yet to come.



Of course, many cynics will look at the timing of Enrique’s announcement, coming so soon after their 4-0 trouncing at the hands of Paris St Germain in the Champions League round of 16 1st leg, but Enrique had already made it clear earlier in the season that he was considering not renewing his current contract, a decision the Barcelona board at that time told him not to make hastily. And then there’s the issue of Leo Messi’s contract renewal, which remains unresolved amid speculation he and Enrique no longer speak; could Enrique’s departure now ensure that the best player in the world remains in Catalonia? 

As I mentioned at the very beginning, Guardiola stepped down after 4 years, citing tiredness, after all he had rebuilt and restructured Barcelona into one of the most efficient footballing machines to ever grace the field. I find it somewhat ironic that Enrique is stepping aside citing tiredness also; but could it be of different kind?  While Guardiola became worn out due to his rebuilding of an entire club and ensuring his standards were consistently met, the wear and tear on Enrique may well have come from a different angle; the burden of keeping Pep’s legacy alive. 

And that, for me, is what Luis Enrique’s time at Barcelona will be remembered for, what his legacy will be; that he managed to take control of the club while vulnerable, at a time when the very standards which transformed the club threatened to be erased with the passing of time, successfully carrying the baton from the two men who remoulded Barcelona and leaving it intact for the next man to follow; he took Guardiola’s legacy, his standards, and has ensured they would endure while infusing it with some of his own. 

He may not have been as popular in the dressing room as Guardiola, or have had the same kind of relationship with his players as his illustrious predecessor, but he can walk away this summer knowing he’s done what counts; keeping Barcelona successful on the pitch and running well off it.





James McGhie (@jrmcghie) is the host and producer of the Calciomercato.com podcast