Spain’s new start with luis enrique: “the ideal lineup”
Spanish national soccer team relies on luis enrique after early exit from world cup in russia. The former national player and ex-coach of FC barcelona has been named the new coach of the 2010 world champions.
The 48-year-old will sign a two-year contract until the 2020 european championship, association president luis rubiales told journalists in madrid. "Luis enrique is the ideal choice," rubiales asserted.
Luis enrique, whose civil name is luis enrique martinez garcia, will succeed fernando hierro, who had only a brief stint. The 50-year-old, until then sports director at the RFEF, had to replace the ousted julen lopetegui as national coach a few days before the start of the world cup in russia. The team around sergio ramos and andres iniesta already failed in the eighth finals in the penalty shootout surprisingly against host russia.
Rubiales said the new coach should be presented next week. The players of the national team had not been informed in advance and had not been consulted, the head of the association revealed on request. "The decision on who becomes the new coach is a matter for the board of the association. If any of the players want to speak to me about this decision, they are welcome to do so."
As rubiales revealed, the contract with luis enrique will include a release clause so that the "affair lopetegui" is not repeated. The bizarre soap opera is still well remembered by fans all over the world: just three days before spain’s first world cup match, to the surprise of (almost) everyone, champions league winners real madrid announced the signing of lopetegui for the next season. The visibly annoyed rubiales then unceremoniously put the 51-year-old coach in front of the turbo. The amount of the transfer fee for luis enrique was not disclosed.
Luis enrique was last coach of FC barcelona for three years, between 2014 and 2017. In his very first season he led the "blaugrana" to win the triple, i.E. The primera division, the spanish cup and also the champions league. In the years that followed, he and his proteges around national goalkeeper marc-andre ter stegen and superstar lionel messi won, among other things, another championship, the cup twice, the spanish and european super cups once each, and also the club world cup.
Luis enrique used to be a professional footballer himself (in midfield and forward) and even became a club legend as barca captain between 1996 and 2004. He played 62 international matches and scored twelve goals. Before he became coach at FC barcelona, he had coached the first division club celta vigo from 2013 onwards.
The hobby triathlete, a hothead with many rough edges, who voluntarily left FC barcelona to, in his own words, "take a rest," will make his first national squad on 31 december. August announce. He will make his debut on 8. September in the nations league duel against england at wembley stadium in london. La roja’s match against croatia in elche, eastern spain, three days later. A tough start for luis enrique, with england and croatia – unlike spain – currently in the world cup semifinals.
