Luis Enrique has no intention of returning to Barcelona
Martin Macdonald
- 30 Sept 2021 14:04 BST
- 3 min read
Luis Enrique has ruled himself out of the running for the head coach job at Barcelona.
Ronald Koeman is currently in charge at Camp Nou but the Dutchman's days are apparently numbered after a poor start to the 2021/22 season.
Barcelona's financial state has left the squad decimated, with legendary figure Lionel Messi being forced to leave after the club were unable to take on his wages under new regulations imposed by La Liga.
Other high-earning players like Miralem Pjanic and Antoine Griezmann left for Besiktas and Atletico Madrid respectively.
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Even with the inadequate squad, Koeman has failed to impress the powers-that-be in Catalunya.
In six La Liga matches so far, they have won just three and drew the others against Athletic Bilbao, Cadiz and Granada.
Their form in the Champions League is even worse as they have lost their first two matches of the group 3-0 at home to Bayern Munich and 3-0 away against Benfica.
With Koeman's position under threat, speculation is gathering as to who could potentially replace him.
Names like Roberto Martinez, Erik ten Hag, Antonio Conte and Xavi have been mentioned, as well as more fantastical coaches like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
Another name previously in the mix was Luis Enrique who led the club to their last treble, but he is not ready to leave Spain.
When asked about potentially returning, he said:
"I think Joan Laporta (Barcelona president) doesn't even have my phone number... I'm not leaving Spanish national team. I've a contract here as they wanted me and I'll respect it."
Who could replace Koeman?
Due to Barcelona's financial situation and the current state of their squad, with no Messi of course, they are not in a position to be targeting their number one choices.
Though a return of Guardiola of the appointment of Klopp is desired, it is currently a fanciful thought.
According to reports from Spain, Martinez is the leading contender at the moment due to a special relationship he has with the current sporting director, Jordi Cruyff.
While there are many members of Barcelona's board who would prefer to see the return of Xavi, Martinez is wanted by Cruyff and, crucially, Laporta.
The Barca president has spoken of his admiration for Xavi previously but has insisted that the former midfielder needs more experience as a head coach before taking over at Camp Nou.
