What’s the story?
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has chosen his assistant, Juan Carlos Unzue, as the man to succeed him at Barcelona, according to a report in Spanish newspaper SPORT. Enrique’s future has been the subject of much speculation, with the Spaniard fuelling rumours of his exit in an interview with Barca TV, saying “There is also a part of this tough job that really grates, it has its negatives and I have to weigh that up ahead of next season.”
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The parallels between Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique are plenty – both enjoyed successful spells at the club, but have noted their displeasure with the pressure of the Barcelona media. Guardiola was instrumental in choosing Tito Vilanova as the man to succeed him, and Luis Enrique is likely to do the same.
The heart of the matter
Barcelona have mostly pulled off seamless transitions whenever changing managers in the last decade, and signing Enrique’s assistant would continue that trend. 46-year-old Enrique is keen on taking a sabbatical after a high-pressure two and a half years in charge of the Blaugrana, a spell in which he won every trophy possible.
The Spaniard is reportedly likely to influence Barcelona’s decision to hire Unzue as well, with first-team coach Roberto Moreno to become Unzue’s assistant. A point in favour of Unzue’s hiring is that Lionel Messi shares a good rapport with the current assistant boss, with Barcelona unlikely to upset the apple cart.
The pair already managed once against Hercules in the Copa del Rey, thus convincing the dressing room of Enrique’s intentions to leave after this season.
What next?
Luis Enrique’s exit from Barcelona is a question of when, rather than if, but the Spaniard can leave with his head held high, despite a stuttering campaign in the 2016/17 season. Like Guardiola before, him Enrique will need a sabbatical, but has previously expressed an interest in managing the Spanish national side. Having already managed in Serie A, Enrique is likely to move to the Premier League or Bundesliga if he chooses to remain in club management, with Arsenal being mooted as a destination, once Arsene Wenger leaves.
Sportskeeda’s Take
There is plenty of criticism aimed at Luis Enrique at the moment, but the Barcelona boss deserves a ton of credit, especially for creating perhaps the best attacking trio in the club’s history in Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. However, Barcelona ought to be wary of allowing Enrique to leave, especially with the lack of ‘big name’ managers available to take over.
