Luis Enrique’s decision to quit at the end of the season has left Barcelona looking for a new man in charge.
Bizarrely, the current manager made the announcement after watching his side beat Sporting Gijon 6-1 to go top of La Liga, with Real Madrid only mustering a 3-3 draw against Las Palmas.
The Blaugrana can’t be too shocked by Enrique’s imminent departure.
In fact, it’s been on the cards for a while, so they must have given at least some thought to his replacement.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino continues to be linked with the job, more because of his pedigree than anything else. It’s also easy to overlook his affiliation with Barca’s bitter rivals Espanyol.
One man who won’t be taking charge – or so he’d have us believe – is Arsene Wenger.
The Frenchman is out of contract at Arsenal anyway this summer, and fans would be divided about the costs of seeing him go to a European rival.
Yet, Wenger insists he holds no interest in the soon-to-be vacant post at the Nou Camp.
“No, my preference has always been the same and will remain the same,” he told reporters when asked the inevitable question.
“I am not looking for jobs in other clubs or jobs for other people. I am just focused on me getting to the next level and trying to improve.”
Enrique’s decision to quit may have something to do with the fact that Lionel Messi won’t sign a new deal until he is given more certainty over the club’s plans for next season.
Wenger’s own indecision is causing problems at Arsenal, as Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are likely to be thinking along the same lines. At least they can count on him turning down Barca then, if they take any notice of these comments at all.
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