The possible successors to Luis Enrique at Barcelona
- Wilko Martínez-Cachero
- @wilko_mart_cach
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Barcelona boss Luis Enrique told the press after his side’s 6-1 victory at home over Sporting Gijón that he would not continue as the club’s manager after the conclusion of the current campaign.
The announcement came after weeks of rumors that he would not be renewing his contract at the end of the season.
During his time at Barcelona so far, Luis Enrique has won La Liga twice, the Copa Del Rey twice, the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA World Cup, and the Champions League.
With Enrique set to depart, Barcelona now have to look for a new coach to lead the club to an era of new glory and perhaps transition.
Managing the Catalan giants is one of the biggest jobs in world football and there will be plenty of coaches interested in the position.
Here are the men who are in the frame to be managing Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar and company next year:
Arsène Wenger
With his Arsenal future in the up in air, Barcelona could turn to Arsène Wenger to stabilize the club. Wenger is a manager with a winning pedigree who would look to do what’s best with the club’s youth and play the Barcelona way.
Ernesto Valverde
The current Athletic Club manager has been linked to the Barcelona job for years. He’s done a great job in Bilbao, bringing through plenty of youth players, taking the club to the Champions League and leading them to a Spanish Super Cup win over Barcelona.
Mauricio Pochettino
Often linked to other jobs by the English press, it would take a great club to tempt Mauricio Pochettino to leave Tottenham. Although Barcelona could be that offer, Pochettino’s past ties to Espanyol could keep him from joining Barca.
Jorge Sampaoli
Jorge Sampaoli has been a smashing success so far in his first season at Sevilla. Although he seems happy at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, the former Chile boss would surely be tempted by the opportunity to coach fellow Argentinian Messi and one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Juan Carlos Unzué
If Barcelona want to keep the foundations of the current management, they don’t have to look any further than Juan Carlos Unzué. Unzué has been Luis Enrique’s assistant manager at Barcelona and is credited with a lot of the tactical work at the club. Recent reports from Catalunya also claim that Luis Enrique would want his assistant to be promoted after his departure.
Ronald Koeman
As a player, Ronald Koeman made almost 200 appearances for Barcelona. He was also the Blaugrana assistant manager from 1998 to 2000. His managerial reputation has gone up lately with impressive stints at Southampton and currently Everton.
Eusebio Sacristán
Despite having extended his contract with Real Sociedad until 2019, the allure of Barcelona is enough to attract just about any coach. Eusebio is a former Barcelona B manager who knows the ins-and-outs of the Catalan club. During his short time in Donostia, he has gotten Real Sociedad playing tidy possession football and currently has them fighting for a Champions League place.
Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp was linked with a move to Barcelona in recent weeks and the pictures which emerged of Liverpool’s owner at the Nou Camp had the rumour mill spinning. Having just signed a six-year contract at Liverpool, this seems like a very unlikely move but never say never!
Laurent Blanc
The former France boss has been without a job since leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season. Like Koeman, he is a former Barcelona player. However, he also has the added bonus of knowing the Champions League very well as a result of his experiences with PSG.
Xavi
One of the reasons that Xavi went to Qatar after leaving Barcelona in 2015 was to begin getting his coaching badges. Besides Pep Guardiola, it’s arguable that nobody knows Barcelona better than Xavi. Although he has no experience as a coach, neither did Pep Guardiola when he took command of Barcelona B.
Frank de Boer
In theory, Frank de Boer has everything Barcelona wants in a manager. He has a track record of developing and bringing through youth players, he has a defined way of playing exquisite football and has had success at Ajax. However, his recent failure at Inter Milan and inexperience as a manager probably indicate that it’s too early for him to take a job at a global powerhouse like Barcelona.
Oscar Garcia
Former Brighton & Hove Albion boss Oscar Garcia was a Barca player between 1993 and 1999 and he also managed the club’s youth side between 2010 and 2012. He’s now in charge at Austrian side RB Salzburg.
Massimiliano Allegri
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri is likely to leave Turin in the summer and as it stands, he’s the favourite to take over at Arsenal. However, he is certainly in the frame for the Barca job having established himself as one of Europe’s best coaches.
Paco Jemez
Former international defender Paco Jemez has had spells managing numerous Spanis clubs such as Rayo Vallecano and Granada. He’s now in charge at Mexican side Cruz Azul.
Carles Puyol
Another Barca legend who, despite lacking experience, is said to be in the frame to take the reigns at the club. This would be a huge risk for Barca, though, although it would definitely be a move that would please the fans.
Thomas Tuchel
Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel has quickly made a name for himself since taking over from Jurgen Klopp. His teams play a very attacking brand of football, one that Barcelona fans would appreciate.