'The first 40 minutes in Manchester have been the best of our era' - says Luis Enrique

Record ID: 80254

  • Title: 'The first 40 minutes in Manchester have been the best of our era' - says Luis Enrique
  • Date: 5th November 2016
  • Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (NOVEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) FC BARCELONA PLAYERS ON TRAINING PITCH FORWARDS LIONEL MESSI AND NEYMAR WITH STRIKER LUIS SUAREZ ON TRAINING PITCH VARIOUS OF PLAYERS ON TRAINING PITCH GOALKEEPER MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN ON TRAINING PITCH VARIOUS OF PLAYERS ON TRAINING PITCH COACH LUIS ENRIQUE MARTINEZ ON TRAINING PITCH VARIOUS OF PLAYERS ON TRAINING PITCH COACH LUIS ENRIQUE MARTINEZ ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM CLOSE OF LUIS ENRIQUE CAMERAMEN / LUIS ENRIQUE JOURNALISTS ATTENDING CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, SAYING: "Not only do they keep getting good results but they are also improving. In the league they are proving themselves as a solid team. It is true, they have won five games at home and that shows the danger the rival will have. They already played at home against Atletico Madrid... we are aware of it, we need to show our best version." PLAYERS ON TRAINING PITCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, SAYING: "We are the only team that this season have won in the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium and tomorrow we are going to try to be intense and complete enough to defeat Sevilla. But we know it will be hard." PLAYERS ON TRAINING PITCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, SAYING: "I think that the first 40 minutes in Manchester were the best of our era, since we arrived here two years ago. I'm not going to make a reflection on the next 50 minutes when the rivals were better than us at certain moments." LUIS ENRIQUE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 20th November 2016 14:29
  • Keywords: Luis Enrique Barcelona
  • Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
  • City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015761YRJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Barcelona coach Luis Enrique Martinez said on Saturday (November 5) his team will need to show their best version in order to defeat in-form Sevilla.
    Sampaoli has taken Sevilla to fourth in the table on 21 points, one behind Barca in second, while his team top Champions League Group H on 10 points after easing to a 4-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday (November 2).
    "Not only do they keep getting good results but they are also improving. In the league they are proving themselves as a solid team. It is true, they have won five games at home and that shows the danger the rival will have. They already played at home against Atletico Madrid... we are aware of it, we need to show our best version," Luis Enrique said at a news conference previewing Sunday's (November 6) game.
    Sevilla has also won every game in the league and Europe at their Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, only losing the Spanish Super Cup first leg against Barca in August.
    "Not only do they keep getting good results but they are also improving. In the league they are proving themselves as a solid team. It is true, they have won five games at home and that shows the danger the rival will have. They already played at home against Atletico Madrid... we are aware of it, we need to show our best version," said Barca coach to journalists.
    The former Chile coach has admitted to being heavily influenced by Pep Guardiola, Barca's most decorated coach ever and the mastermind behind City's 3-1 victory over the Catalans on Wednesday (November 2) in Manchester.
    Despite losing against the English team, Luis Enrique said the first 40 minutes played in Manchester were the best since he took the helm.
    "I think that the first 40 minutes in Manchester were the best of our era, since we arrived here two years ago. I'm not going to make a reflection on the next 50 minutes, when the rivals were better than us at certain moments," he said.
    Barca are still missing midfield maestro Andres Iniesta and influential defender Gerard Pique through injury while Jordi Alba is a doubt, and their injury problems are heightened by an alarming loss of form in players they often rely upon.
    Yet while Barca look far from the finished article that romped to the title last season, they have a habit of bouncing back emphatically, reacting to a shock defeat to Alaves by hammering Celtic 7-0, and thrashing Deportivo 4-0 after their last league defeat to Celta.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register