Luis Enrique facts for kids
Luis Enrique coaching Barcelona in 2015
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Luis Enrique Martínez García | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 May 1970 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gijón, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Paris Saint-Germain (manager) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1988 | Sporting Gijón | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1988 | → La Braña (loan) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1990 | Sporting Gijón B | 27 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Sporting Gijón | 36 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1996 | Real Madrid | 157 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2004 | Barcelona | 207 | (73) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 427 | (107) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Spain U21 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Spain U23 | 14 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–2002 | Spain | 62 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Asturias | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Barcelona B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Roma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Celta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Paris Saint-Germain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Luis Enrique Martínez García (born May 8, 1970), known as Luis Enrique, is a famous Spanish football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the French club Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain.
As a player, Luis Enrique was very flexible and could play in many different positions, usually as a midfielder or forward. He was also known for his strong will and energy. From 1991 to 2004, he played for two of Spain's biggest clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona. He played over 500 official games and scored more than 100 goals. He also played for the Spanish national team in three World Cups and one European Championship.
Luis Enrique started his coaching career in 2008 with Barcelona B. Three years later, he moved to Roma. In the 2013–14 season, he managed Celta. He then returned to Barcelona and achieved amazing success, winning the treble in his first year and the double in his second. In 2018, he became the head coach of the Spanish national team. He led them to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and second place in the 2020–21 Nations League. In July 2023, he joined Paris Saint-Germain and has continued to win trophies.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Club Football Journey
Luis Enrique was born in Gijón, Asturias, Spain. He started his football journey with his local club, Sporting de Gijón. There, he earned the nickname Lucho. He then spent most of his playing career with Spain's two biggest clubs.
He played for Real Madrid for five seasons. In 1996, he moved to their big rivals, Barcelona, on a free transfer. At first, Barcelona fans were unsure about him. However, he quickly won them over. He stayed for eight years, became the team captain, and scored many goals against his former club, Real Madrid.
Luis Enrique scored 46 La Liga goals in his first three seasons with Barcelona. The team finished second in 1996–97 and then won the league title two years in a row. He was also named the Spanish Player of the Year in 1997–98. He scored the first goal in the 1997 UEFA Super Cup, which Barcelona won.
In his last years at Barcelona, Luis Enrique often had injuries. He decided not to renew his contract. He retired from professional football on August 10, 2004, at the age of 34. He finished his career with 400 league games and 102 goals. The legendary footballer Pelé even named him one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.
International Matches for Spain
Luis Enrique played for the Spanish national team in three FIFA World Cups: 1994, 1998, and 2002. He also played in UEFA Euro 1996. He scored 12 goals in 62 games for Spain. He was part of the team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He played his first game for the main national team on April 17, 1991.
In the 1994 World Cup, Luis Enrique scored his first international goal in a 3–0 win against Switzerland. In the quarter-final match against Italy, he was hit in the face by an opponent's elbow. The player, Mauro Tassotti, was later banned for eight games because of the incident.
At the 1998 World Cup, Luis Enrique played a big part in Spain's 6–1 victory over Bulgaria. He scored a goal and helped set up another. However, Spain was still knocked out of the tournament. In June 1999, he scored three goals in a single game against San Marino during the Euro 2000 qualifiers.
On June 23, 2002, Luis Enrique decided to stop playing for the national team. He wanted to give younger players a chance and focus on his club career.
How Luis Enrique Played
Luis Enrique was known for being incredibly flexible and consistent on the field. He could play almost anywhere in the midfield or along the front line. Throughout his career, he played in every position except central defender and goalkeeper.
He was a strong, brave, energetic, and hard-working team player. He had good technical skills and lots of stamina. His usual position was as an attacking midfielder in the center, because he was good at connecting the forwards and the midfield. He also often played as a right winger or even a full-back on the right side. Sometimes, he even played as a left winger.
Because he had a good eye for goal and made smart runs into the penalty box, Luis Enrique often played as a forward. He could be a second striker behind the main goal scorer, or even a main striker. Besides his playing skills, he was also known for his dedication, strong character, determination, and leadership.
Coaching Career Journey
Barcelona B Team Manager
On May 26, 2008, Luis Enrique returned to Barcelona to manage their B team, which was called Barcelona Atlètic that season. He took over from his former teammate, Pep Guardiola. Luis Enrique said, "I have come home." In his second season, he helped the club's B team get promoted back to Segunda División after 11 years.
In March 2011, Luis Enrique announced he would leave the B team at the end of that season.
Managing AS Roma
On June 8, 2011, Luis Enrique agreed to become the new head coach for the Italian club Serie A team Roma. He signed a two-year contract.
Roma was knocked out of the UEFA Europa League by Slovan Bratislava. They also lost their first game in the Italian league. Even though he still had two years left on his contract, Luis Enrique decided to leave Roma at the end of the season because the team did not qualify for any European competitions.
Leading Celta Vigo
On June 8, 2013, Luis Enrique became the new manager for Celta de Vigo. He led the team to ninth place in the league in his only season. A big highlight was a 2–0 home win against Real Madrid, which ended Real Madrid's chances of winning the league title that year.
On May 16, 2014, Luis Enrique announced he would be leaving Celta.
Return to FC Barcelona as Manager
On May 19, 2014, Luis Enrique returned to Barcelona as their manager, signing a two-year deal. His first official match was a 3–0 home league win. He gave debuts to new players and young talents.
Luis Enrique faced his first league defeat on October 25, 2014, against Real Madrid. His coaching style was questioned because he often changed the team's lineup. There were also reports of disagreements with star player Lionel Messi and other players.
After a loss to Real Sociedad, Barcelona's sporting director was dismissed, which made Luis Enrique's position at the club seem weaker. However, the team's performance greatly improved after he decided on a consistent lineup and changed the formation. Messi and Neymar played as wingers, and Luis Suárez was the main striker. Barcelona then went on a winning streak, matching Pep Guardiola's record of 11 wins in a row. They reached the Copa del Rey final and returned to the top of the league table.
On April 21, 2015, Luis Enrique achieved his 42nd win in 50 games as Barcelona's manager, which was the best record for any manager at the club. He led the club to the Champions League final. On May 17, Barcelona won their 23rd national championship. On June 6, the team completed a historic treble by winning the Champions League final against Juventus. A treble means winning the league, the main domestic cup, and the Champions League all in one season. Three days later, he signed a new contract until 2017.
On August 11, 2015, Barcelona won the 2015 UEFA Super Cup. In his first two seasons, Luis Enrique rotated his goalkeepers, with one playing league games and another playing cup and European matches. On May 22, 2016, Barcelona won a second double (winning the league and domestic cup) by beating Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final.
On March 1, 2017, Luis Enrique announced that he would not continue as Barcelona's manager after his contract ended on June 30.
Coaching the Spanish National Team
Luis Enrique was named the coach of the Spain national team on July 9, 2018. His first match in charge was a 2–1 win against England at Wembley Stadium.
In November 2019, Luis Enrique returned to the national team after stepping down for personal reasons a few months earlier. He led Spain to the semi-finals of Euro 2020, where they lost to Italy in a penalty shootout.
At the 2022 World Cup, Luis Enrique's team was defeated in the round of 16 by Morocco in another penalty shootout. After this, he left his position.
Managing Paris Saint-Germain
On July 5, 2023, Luis Enrique officially became the manager of the French club Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain. He signed a two-year contract. In his first season, he won three domestic trophies and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
In the 2024–25 season, PSG continued their success, winning the league with many games to spare. Luis Enrique also led them to win the Coupe de France again and to the Champions League final, where they beat Inter Milan 5–0. This made them the first French club to achieve a continental treble (winning their league, domestic cup, and Champions League). Luis Enrique became only the second manager to achieve this twice. He also guided the team to the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, but they lost to Chelsea.
Luis Enrique's Coaching Style
Luis Enrique is known as one of the most successful football managers of his time. His coaching style at Barcelona was direct and focused on quick attacks from defense to offense. This was different from the "possession-heavy" style that Barcelona was known for before him. His Barcelona team, especially in his first two years, scored more goals and let in fewer goals than Pep Guardiola's team, and had a higher win rate.
At Barcelona, Luis Enrique often used a 4–3–3 formation. He found more success when he stopped changing his starting players so much. The team's attacks often came from the wings, with Neymar and Messi playing as "inside forwards" next to Suárez. Midfielders like Ivan Rakitić were important in moving the ball from defense to attack.
Luis Enrique continued to prefer the 4–3–3 formation for the Spanish national team. He was also brave and not afraid to make tough decisions as a manager. He was quick to remove any influences that he felt weakened his authority. He was known for being flexible in his playing styles and not being bothered by criticism.
What People Say About Him
Lionel Messi said that Luis Enrique was one of the two best managers he ever played for, the other being Pep Guardiola. Guardiola himself said that Luis Enrique's Barcelona team was one of the best he ever faced.
Thiago Alcântara, a Spanish international player, said that Luis Enrique has the "analytical positioning of Pep [Guardiola] and the aggressiveness of Klopp." He also praised Luis Enrique's ability to explain his football ideas clearly. Luis Enrique is considered one of the best managers of his time.
Personal Life
Luis Enrique married Elena Cullell on December 27, 1997. Sadly, their youngest daughter, Xana, passed away from bone cancer at the age of 9 on August 29, 2019.
After retiring from playing football, Luis Enrique lived in Australia for a while to practice surfing. He is also a keen athlete. He has taken part in several marathons, including the New York City Marathon in 2005 and the Amsterdam Marathon in 2006. He also completed the Frankfurt Ironman in 2007, which is a very challenging triathlon.
Career Statistics
Player Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting Gijón B | 1989–90 | Segunda División B | 27 | 5 | – | – | – | 27 | 5 | |||
| Sporting Gijón | 1989–90 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1990–91 | 35 | 14 | 9 | 3 | – | – | 44 | 17 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 17 | ||
| Real Madrid | 1991–92 | La Liga | 29 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | – | 41 | 5 | |
| 1992–93 | 34 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 1 | – | 48 | 3 | |||
| 1993–94 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 3 | ||
| 1994–95 | 35 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 43 | 4 | |||
| 1995–96 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 3 | ||
| Total | 157 | 15 | 18 | 2 | 34 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 213 | 18 | ||
| Barcelona | 1996–97 | La Liga | 35 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 18 |
| 1997–98 | 34 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 25 | ||
| 1998–99 | 26 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 12 | ||
| 1999–2000 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 12 | ||
| 2000–01 | 28 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 6 | – | 41 | 16 | |||
| 2001–02 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 6 | – | 38 | 11 | |||
| 2002–03 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | – | 26 | 10 | |||
| 2003–04 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | – | 30 | 5 | |||
| Total | 207 | 73 | 26 | 8 | 60 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 300 | 109 | ||
| Career total | 427 | 107 | 53 | 13 | 94 | 28 | 11 | 0 | 585 | 149 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1991 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 9 | 3 | |
| 1995 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 9 | 2 | |
| 1997 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2000 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 62 | 12 | |
- Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Enrique goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 July 1994 | RFK Memorial, Washington, United States |  Switzerland |
2–0 | 3–0 | 1994 World Cup |
| 2 | 16 November 1994 | Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain |  Denmark |
3–0 | 3–0 | Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 3 | 17 December 1994 | Constant Vanden Stock, Brussels, Belgium |  Belgium |
4–1 | 4–1 | Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 4 | 4 September 1996 | Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroes |  Faroe Islands |
1–0 | 6–2 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 13 November 1996 | Heliodoro Rodríguez López, Tenerife, Spain |  Slovakia |
3–1 | 4–1 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 11 October 1997 | El Molinón, Gijón, Spain | Faroe Islands |
1–0 | 3–1 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 3–1 | |||||
| 8 | 24 June 1998 | Félix Bollaert, Lens, France |  Bulgaria |
2–0 | 6–1 | 1998 World Cup |
| 9 | 5 June 1999 | El Madrigal, Villarreal, Spain |  San Marino |
2–0 | 9–0 | Euro 2000 qualifying |
| 10 | 6–0 | |||||
| 11 | 7–0 | |||||
| 12 | 4 September 1999 | Ernst Happel, Vienna, Austria |  Austria |
3–1 | 3–1 | Euro 2000 qualifying |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Barcelona B | 26 May 2008 | 8 June 2011 | 124 | 59 | 40 | 25 | 208 | 139 | +69 | 47.58 | |
| Roma | 8 June 2011 | 13 May 2012 | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 64 | 59 | +5 | 40.48 | |
| Celta | 8 June 2013 | 17 May 2014 | 40 | 15 | 7 | 18 | 50 | 58 | −8 | 37.50 | |
| Barcelona | 19 May 2014 | 29 May 2017 | 181 | 138 | 22 | 21 | 519 | 147 | +372 | 76.24 | |
| Spain | 9 July 2018 | 26 March 2019 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 9 | +12 | 75.00 | |
| Spain | 19 November 2019 | 8 December 2022 | 39 | 20 | 14 | 5 | 76 | 28 | +48 | 51.28 | |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 5 July 2023 | Present | 118 | 82 | 20 | 16 | 292 | 111 | +181 | 69.49 | |
| Total | 552 | 337 | 112 | 103 | 1,230 | 551 | +679 | 61.05 | — | ||
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1994–95 (Spanish League Title)
- Copa del Rey: 1992–93 (Spanish Cup)
- Supercopa de España: 1993 (Spanish Super Cup)
Barcelona
- La Liga: 1997–98, 1998–99
- Copa del Rey: 1996–97, 1997–98
- Supercopa de España: 1996
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1996–97 (European Cup Winners' Cup)
- UEFA Super Cup: 1997 (European Super Cup)
Spain U23
- Summer Olympic Games: 1992 (Gold Medal)
Individual Awards
- La Liga Breakthrough Player: 1990–91
- ESM Team of the Year: 1996–97
- FIFA 100 (Named one of the greatest living footballers by Pelé)
As a Manager
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2014–15, 2015–16
- Copa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Supercopa de España: 2016
- UEFA Champions League: 2014–15 (Europe's top club competition)
- UEFA Super Cup: 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2015 (World Club Championship)
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2023–24, 2024–25 (French League Title)
- Coupe de France: 2023–24, 2024–25 (French Cup)
- Trophée des Champions: 2023, 2024 (French Super Cup)
- UEFA Champions League: 2024–25
Spain
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2020–21
Individual Manager Awards
- La Liga Coach of the Year: 2015
- FIFA World Coach of the Year: 2015
- IFFHS World's Best Club Coach: 2015
- World Soccer Manager of the Year: 2015
- La Liga Manager of the Month: May 2016
- UNFP Ligue 1 Manager of the Year: 2024–25
See also
In Spanish: Luis Enrique Martínez García para niños
- List of FC Barcelona players (100+ appearances)
- List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)
- List of Real Madrid CF players
