Luis Enrique has been making the headlines for all the right reasons. His recent time at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has opened new conversations about his coaching aptitude and tactics. Now, people are holding him to entirely unreasonable comparisons against his magnificent heyday. The ex-player and manager has a colourful past. After an illustrious five-year playing career at Real Madrid, he earned even more legendary status with Barcelona as a manager, claiming 14 trophies in four seasons.
During his playing days, Luis Enrique was one of the players who captured the hearts of Barcelona fans. He scored the opening goal in memorable 5-0 ‘classico’ win against arch-rivals Real Madrid. He has been quite candid to share that all has not been well during his time at Real Madrid. “I have no good memories of my time at Real Madrid,” he stated, which may reflect his desire to be remembered for his achievements rather than his struggles at the club.
A decade ago, Luis Enrique first made headlines after winning the UEFA Champions League with FC Barcelona. Since 2010, his Barcelona side has held the record for fewest dribbles. Fans continue to worship them for their astounding attacking panache and technical genius. Dribbling PSG Luis Enrique’s current statistics make PSG one of the best teams in the world at dribbling. This further indicates that his tactical philosophy remains the same, regardless of what team he’s coaching.
Luis Enrique likes his teams to be extremely aggressive, forcing defenders with ruthless short-one touch passing until they crack open the opposition half. This approach emphasizes teamwork and collective effort. He thinks that the best football, the successful football is the players doing something all together. “If you do not build a team and you have only individuals, it is much more difficult to win titles because during a game you need to work like a family,” he noted, highlighting the importance of unity in achieving success.
His sides are intensely involved in the build-up play, and once possession is lost, they press seriously to get it back. This extremely intense approach to coaching has won accolades from football journalists and former professional players. Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique’s peer and rival, labelled the Spaniard as direct, honest and hard-working. Yet this very mix of attributes has bred his reputation as the most feared tactical wizard.
Luis Enrique’s playing career allowed him the opportunity to play alongside legends like Ronaldo and Oscar at FC Barcelona. These experiences not only developed his understanding of the game, but became the foundation for his coaching philosophy. Oscar remarked on the importance of adapting coaching styles to individual players: “You cannot treat all players the same. Of those, one or two you can take a different approach with because they can win you ball games. This creation serves to highlight Luis Enrique’s deft touch in managing the collective spirit of the team with their individual talent.
Unsurprisingly, his approach at PSG so far has been the same winning formula he used at Barca. He’s employing a fraudulent No 9 formation. This motion is a tactical decision to generate midfield superiority and overloads. Oscar Garcia elaborated on this strategy, stating, “He is playing with a false No 9 to create superiority and to create those overloads in midfield.”
Luis Enrique’s ability to cultivate a winning mentality while fostering individual player development is evident through his past successes and current achievements with PSG. The similarities between his teams further prove his adaptability and commitment to world-class football.
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