The Luis Enrique era is over after the latest Copa del Rey triumph. Ernesto Valverde of Athletic Club Bilbao will by every account be named his successor. But before we get swept up in the plans for the future, let’s talk about the era we just completed.
It’s sometimes overlooked that Luis Enrique was an important player before he was a manager. He spent 8 seasons at Barcelona, where he developed a reputation for being a jack-of-all trades and a reliable goalscorer. He also captained Barça and was one of their best players of the mid 90s to mid 00s.