Luis Enrique is a special type.
That's how he was as a footballer, and that's how he is now as a coach.
Where else will you find a team coach who communicates directly with the fans and answers their questions.
You won't find anyone like that, except for the coach of the Spanish national team.
And football is not the only sport he is involved in.
After hanging up his shoes, at the end of a wonderful career, Enrique moved to live in Australia, mainly to practice surfing, run marathons and participate in "Iron Man" competitions.
This experience ended in 2008, when Pep Guardiola was appointed coach of Barcelona and Enrique got the job of coach in the reserve team of Barca instead.
After three years at Barça B (where he coached, among others, Guy Assolin), he moved on to coach Roma, Celta Vigo, and then returned to Barcelona - this time to the first team - in the summer of 2014.
His debut season was not easy.
He lost in the Clasico to Real Madrid;
got into a heated confrontation with Leo Messi, who wanted him fired;
His right-hand man at the club, sporting director Andoni Sobisarte, was fired;
And yet he finished his debut season with the "triplet" - championship, cup and Champions League.
The victory over Juventus in Berlin in 2015 is Barcelona's last win in the Champions League.
And the truth is that since Luis Enrique left Barca in 2017 it has been on the decline.
On the other hand, the Spanish national team is on the rise, since he was appointed the national coach after the failure in the World Cup in Russia.
Enrique led "La Roja" to the Euro semi-finals a year and a half ago in England, and in the same match against Italy, Spain was much better - before being defeated in the penalty shootout.
The team continued to advance and qualified for the Nations League finals after defeating Italy in the semi-finals in Milan.
In the final against the world champion France she again played great, but finally lost 2:1.
The one who scored both goals in the semi-final against Italy was Fran Torres, with whom Luis Enrique has a special relationship.
Enrique celebrates.
Special type, photo: Reuters
"Knows how to separate"
Before the start of the World Cup, the Spanish coach surprised when he announced that he would open an account on the Twitch social network, through which he would communicate directly with the fans and answer their questions.
When one of the fans asked which of the 26 players in the squad he most resembled as a footballer, Enrique replied: "It's very easy - Fran Torres. Because if I don't say it, my daughter will cut my head off."
Yes, the partner of the Barcelona striker is none other than Sierra Martinez, the daughter of the national team coach.
The two announced they were dating in January, after Torres moved from Manchester City to Barcelona.
And after the 0:7 victory over Costa Rica, the player dedicated the two goals he scored to the boat, which was sitting in the stands of Al-Thumama Stadium.
Luis Enrique emphasized that all his decisions regarding the national team are professional, despite the warm relationship he has with his eldest daughter's partner.
"I think as a coach, and I know how to make the separation when it comes to family, and when it comes to coach-player relationships."
For his part, Fran Torres said: "I consider Luis Enrique my father."
Yesterday, during a question session on Twitch, the Spanish coach was asked what he would do if Fran Torres celebrated a goal while sucking his thumb (a hint that Syrah is pregnant).
The answer was smiling, but clear: "I will replace him immediately, send him to the stands, and he will never set foot on a football field again."
Another fan was interested in the coach's opinion on the players' sexual relations, and the answer was: "I have no problem with sex before games. It's completely normal, unless it's an orgy the night before the game, it's not ideal. Sex is an important thing, and when I was a player My wife and I did what we had to do whenever it was possible."
And if we return to net soccer, Luis Enrique came to the World Cup with very high hopes.
"I don't know if qualifying for the semifinals will be considered a success," he said, "because we've already reached the Euro semifinals and the Nations League final. We know what the next step should be."
Tonight, Spain will meet the stressed Germany, which comes after the loss to Japan.
For her part, Spain wants to register a second victory, which will guarantee her a place in the round of 16.
And with a special coach like Luis Enrique, the sky is the limit.
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