Luis Enrique vows his Barcelona will play 'attractive and effective football'
Gerardo Martino's replacement will get to work immediately as he seeks to put Catalan giants back on top
Luis Enrique promised "attractive and effective football" as he took the reins at Barcelona on Wednesday tasked with putting the Catalan giants back at the summit of the European game.
"This is a very special day," Luis Enrique, who has signed a two-year contract, told a news conference. "We are beginning the building of a new, exciting Barca.
"My team will attack, we’ll play attractive and effective football, the kind of football that millions across the world have come to love, which means we need to defend well too," said the former Barca B coach, who had an impressive season in charge of Celta Vigo last season.
We’re in this together, though I’ll be demanding hard work. I’ll be looking for plenty of hunger from the players and they’ll have to show me that every day
The former Barca and Spain midfielder, a fan favourite during his playing days, has replaced Gerardo Martino. The Argentine had a disappointing debut season without major silverware and stepped down on Saturday.
Barcelona lost out to Atletico Madrid for Spain's La Liga title and were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by the club from the nation's capital. They also lost to Real Madrid in the final of the King’s Cup.
"I’ll be laying out my plans to the players and talking to them so that they take them on board as their own," 44-year-old Luis Enrique said.
"I don’t think I’ll need to impose myself very much and bark out orders - we’re in this together, though I’ll be demanding hard work. I’ll be looking for plenty of hunger from the players and they’ll have to show me that every day."
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu and his board are hoping Luis Enrique will be able to recreate the success that the club enjoyed under another former midfielder, Pep Guardiola, who had a spectacular run in charge between 2008 and 2012.