The Spanish football federation has announced the appointment of former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique as their new senior team coach, after the sacking of Julen Lopetegus, and the stepping down of caretaker manager Fernando Hierro after an awful world cup outing in the ongoing Russia 2018 FIFA world cup.
The announcement was made earlier today after many consultations, the former AS Roma and Barcelona coach Luis Enrique who was once tipped as a possible replacement to Chelsea’s Antonio Conte, and Paris Saint Germain new coach has adjudged as the best candidate for the Spanish job. He was said to be the most qualified manager and keeping in the tradition of the Spanish style of football it was only proper for them to appoint a man that knows the system and have been part of it.
Spain after their world cup ouster by host Russia was in desperate need of an urgent replacement to kick-start the rebuilding of the national team, after caretaker manager Fernando Hierro was criticized for his style of play at the world cup, and even the federation came under a huge stick from fans and players alike, on how they managed the whole sacking of Julen Lopetegus. But in a statement released on the new appointment of Luis Enrique as the new manager, the RFEF’s President Luis Rubiales said:
“It has been approved unanimously by the RFEF’s executive committee the appointment of Luis Enrique as national team coach for the next two years.
There’s a total agreement. He’s had bigger offers but he wanted to be national team coach and I want to highlight the sacrifice he has made. He will be unveiled next week.”
On the issue of caretaker manager Hierro who stepped down not only as Spain senior team coach but from the federation board as a sporting Director said:
“[Hierro] rejected going back to his former position as the RFEF sporting director, to look for new horizons and face new professional challenges.
After two stints as the federation sporting director, the first one between 2007 and 2011 – which was the best era of the senior national team, when it won the European Championship under Luis Aragones as coach in 2008 and the 2010 World Cup with Vicente del Bosque – and a second stint from November 2007 until now.
The RFEF wants to thank Fernando Hierro for his compromise and sense of duty when taking the reigns of the national team under extraordinary circumstances, as well as performing all his duties.
The federation wants to highlight the professional and personal values of an extraordinary athlete, and we wish him the best.” The statement concludes.