While Luis Enrique has long had a prickly relationship with the media, it was becoming clearer that the stress of a role which had worn out predecessor Pep Guardiola was finally getting to him. Luis Enrique's uneasy relationship with Messi nearly cost him his job in January 2015 after the Argentine reacted badly to being left out against Real Sociedad. President Josep Maria Bartomeu, however, lauded Luis Enrique: "We've had a super coach in the last three years," he declared. Sevilla's Jorge Sampaoli and Athletic Bilbao's Ernesto Valverde are the two main candidates to succeed Luis Enrique, although the outgoing coach is believed to want his assistant Juan Carlos Unzue to take over. Whoever Barca do appoint will have his work cut out in repeating Luis Enrique's achievements, even though the coach never managed to satisfy everyone at the club.

Source: The Star March 02, 2017 11:48 UTC