“I only know how to compete,” he said to himself when he retired from playing in 2004. Managing was the only option for the former Barcelona and Spain forward.
As a coach, Luis Enrique has copied the philosophy of his former team-mate Pep Guardiola from the beginning.
He hasn’t brought anything truly new to the table, but, using the tonnes of energy he has, he has become one of the top representatives of a broader cultural shift.
His relentless edge is now driving everything at Paris St-Germain, although initially he didn’t even want the job.
He thought the club only cared about names. Players such as Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Uncoachable, he assumed.
But when he heard the philosophy had changed – that they now wanted to build a team – he reconsidered.
And, soon after he arrived, Neymar and Marco Verratti were gone. Messi, who might have stayed had he known Luis Enrique was coming, had already committed to Inter Miami.
He understands and appreciates the importance of individual stars, but only up to a point.
In a recent documentary about his first season at PSG, he was seen warning Mbappe, his star player at the time, about his obligation to fulfil his defensive duties – just after the player had scored a hat-trick.
“He’s the best player in the world,” the Asturian insisted several times. “But if the team with the best player in the world always won, PSG would have eight Champions League titles and they haven’t had any.”
He is a manager who respects structure, but is never afraid to speak his mind.
“I’m not afraid of the worst in football… if they sack me, no problem,” he said. “The next day, I’ll go for a cycling trip.”
It’s that perspective that helped him ride out a rocky start last season – including a 4–1 loss to Newcastle in the Champions League and heavy criticism from the supporters.
But he stayed calm and kept faith in his footballing beliefs. Structure, repetition, and positional discipline.
His dream? One day, managers will have mics in the stands and be able to talk players through their positions during a match.
He had to rewire a squad addicted to chaos when he arrived in Paris.
So he spent little time in an office, instead sitting with his assistants, working directly with his players and embedding his ideas.
Some players push back against his intensity. Mbappe, for example, didn’t love being boxed in as a number nine or publicly challenged after a hat-trick.
But others thrive, because he doesn’t do favourites.
