Luis Enrique says he is honoured to have the chance to coach Lionel Messi following his appointment as Barcelona boss.
The tactician was asked about the Argentine talisman at the Press conference to announce his appointment as Tata Martino’s successor at Camp Nou.
“I am delighted to have the best player in the world in the squad,” Enrique told reporters. “And the club needs to think the same because he renewed his contract.
“His form wasn’t at his usual best during last season, but let’s hope we can manage to get the best out of him once again.
“He is indispensable and a unique player, like the other stars of the team.”
The former Roma and Celta Vigo tactician also answered questions on Xavi, Javier Mascherano and how he plans to manage the egos of some of his stellar names.
“Xavi is a friend and an ex-teammate. I could speak wonders about him. There will be time to talk and assess what we all want. I hope we can make a few decisions.
“Mascherano is a little bit like Xavi. They are both very important players, not just on the pitch. You see how he manages himself, he’s like a captain. There will be time to make important decisions.
“Any team has players who have bigger egos than others, but what you need to do is to move forward together.
“We will all agree the important values the team will have, those things that you need to respect.
“The players are ready and they will behave well. It’s something we need to discuss, we will talk to each other and then we will see.
“If we have a bad experience? We will deal with it.”
Finally, Enrique provided short answers when questioned about the futures of Cesc Fabregas and Neymar.
“Fabregas? We don’t have to make decisions yet, there is time for everything.
“Neymar? I am delighted to have him in the team.”
