The images spilled: Luis Enrique, PSG coach, losing control after the final of the Club World Cup against Chelsea. The Spanish technician, filmed slapping João Pedro in a confused melee, has aroused indignation and astonishment. “I only wanted to separate the players”,
He argued at a press conference, quickly apologizing. But these justifications have not extinguished the media fire, and if no official sanction has yet been made, the reputation of the former Spanish coach has just been seriously scorned.
The previous overmars, a long kept secret
However, this scene strangely recalls an episode long remain confidential. March 2002, Barça training on the eve of a Clasico: Marc Overmars commits a rough tackle on Luis Enrique, which literally explodes. Furious, the Spaniard gets up, grants the Dutchman by the pass and exchanges blows before Carles Puyol intervened to calm the spirits. At the time, Barça had minimized the case: “This kind of thing happens”, had laconically declared Juan Pablo Sorín to Sky Sports. But this incident, unknown so far, reveals a burning temperament that is not new.
Luis Enrique has always been recognized for his fighting spirit. But this overflowing energy has often resulted in excess. During his five seasons at Barça, he accumulated no less than four red cards, a high record for an offensive player. His blood character has also put him into frequent conflict with Liga referees, regularly attracting criticism to his ability to keep his composure in decisive moments. A double -cutting intensity: beneficial to galvanize a team, but likely to trigger regrettable incidents.
The excesses of Luis Enrique: a long history
Luis Enrique, victim before being an executioner
Ironically, Luis Enrique also experienced the opposite scenario. During the quarterfinals of the 1994 World Cup, he was violently struck by the elbow of Mauro Tassotti, breaking his nose and causing a suspension of eight matches for the Italian. From an emblematic victim of a brutal gesture, he has thus turned into a controversial protagonist, whose nervous temperament can, under pressure, switch on the wrong side.
His former teammates describe him as a “Emotional, volcanic but protective leader”. A sport psychologist also recalls that
“The emotional intensity of the coach profession tenfold the risks of loss of control”. It remains to be seen how FIFA will deal with the João Pedro affair, while disciplinary regulations (article 12) potentially provide heavy sanctions. One thing is certain: Luis Enrique, tactical genius but also an excess man, will absolutely have to master his nerves when returning to August in August. Because despite the years, certain behaviors seem deeply rooted.
