No fans sadder than dancing with your sister – Spain boss Luis Enrique

Spain boss Luis Enrique is not a fan of football matches being played behind closed doors: “Playing without fans is sadder than dancing with your sister.”

His comments come after Germany’s Bundesliga returned last weekend with all games staged without any fans – a reality which is likely to face any football staged over the coming months.

La Liga is hopeful of returning to action by the middle of June after clubs returned to training earlier this month, with players now allowed to train in groups up to 10.

England’s Premier League and Serie A in Italy are also hopeful of completing the 2019/20 campaigns but many obstacles remain in their paths for a return, while fans may not be allowed to return to the stands for the rest of the calendar year.

“Playing without fans is sadder than dancing with your sister,” Luis Enrique told Colgados del Aro, as reported by ESPN. “I saw some games from Germany at the weekend and it’s terrible.

“You can hear everything, all the insults, and you lose the intimacy of the better moments. But we have to remember that this is a business that generates a lot of money.

“While it’s a long way from playing with fans, I understand it can serve as a way of helping people deal with the lockdown. But football in these circumstances is odd.”

The Spain boss did go on to say that players should not be concerned with the health risks involved in returning to action: “As a player, I would have been keen to get back to playing as soon as possible. I would have had no fear.

“On a personal level, I’m not worried about the virus but I am aware there could be an impact on older people and those susceptible to greater suffering. As a coach, I would like to start up because of everything it means more than because I am keen for it to come back.”

Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique returned as Spain coach late last year to replace his former number two Robert Moreno, after temporarily stepping down following the death of his daughter.

“The greatest talent I ever coached was Ronaldo but at the same time he was the player who created the most problems for me in the dressing room. He used to throw parties and do everything. Once Van Nistelrooy said to me: ‘Coach, the dressing room smells like alcohol’.” Find out who which manager said this right here.

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