Luis Enrique admits going public with his decision to leave Barcelona has left him “relieved” as “I think my wife could handle the cold in England perfectly”.
Enrique confirmed in the wake of Barca’s 6-1 win against Sporting Gijon on Wednesday that he would not be extending his contract beyond the summer, and his Press conference for Saturday’s clash with Celta Vigo was far more light-hearted than in recent times.
“Controlling the game will be difficult, against a team that press the whole pitch,” began the Coach.
“They’re one of the most difficult teams to face in this League, they have quality and it’ll certainly be difficult,” he began.
“They’ll provoke many one-on-one situations and they’re a team that are not afraid of pushing their lines forward. It’ll be a good challenge for us.
“Celta like PSG? No because Celta’s defence is very different to that of PSG. There aren’t any parallels.
“Am I still fired up? I haven’t lost my strength in four days, and in a way I’m a little relieved, but I’m still focused on the objectives we set at the start of the season.
“A gap year or the Premier League? I don’t think my wife could stand a year of me at home, but I think she could handle the cold [in England] perfectly!
“Advising the club about my successor? I don’t like to talk about potential candidates.
“I’ve never done it and I’m only thinking about ending the season well in these three months.
“Will my technical staff also leave? My decision concerns only myself. Did the weight of the Barca dugout influence my decision? No, it’s something personal.
“Pep Guardiola’s words? If Pep says it, and he was here for a long time, then it’s something he knows.
“[Coaching] is a unique profession, in which the decision-making is constant, and it’s something that we all accept as Coaches.
“Will I miss the Press? Funny man [referring to the journalist that asked the question] … we’ll see!”
