Andres Iniesta was looking uncertain. It was his first day as a member of Barcelona's first team, in 2002, and he had automatically headed for his old dressing room, where the B team changed. His nerves were put at ease by the senior player in the first team, the lungs of the Barca side around the turn of the century.
“I told the doorman to bring Iniesta down to our dressing room,” explains Luis Enrique. “I introduced him to the other players in the manner I would have liked had I been him.
“I didn’t really know who he was, but that’s what should happen for any new player. I remember Kevin Moran shaking my hand when I started at Sporting Gijon.
“I saw Iniesta, pale skin, slight. But oohh, what a player. A lot of players don’t realise that Iniesta and Xavi had lots of games on the bench. Only Messi walked into the first team.
“Young players have to understand, adapt and learn. They have to learn little by little, otherwise there is too much pressure on them. Only Messi went straight into the first team.”
Enrique and Iniesta will meet again by the dressing rooms of Camp Nou tonight as the man offered the top job at Barcelona nine months ago returns for the first time as a coach with his Celta Vigo side.
Barcelona are buoyed by their incredible 4-3 win in el clasico on Sunday, that reduced Real Madrid’s advantage over them to one point. The first goal was scored by that slight, pale-skinned, young man who also scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final.
Iniesta is the Enrique of the current side, an attacking midfielder from outside Catalonia idolised by Catalans.
Enrique knows all about Spain’s big two, having played for both before turning to management with Barcelona’s B team, where he replaced Pep Guardiola and stayed for three years before moving to Roma.
He lasted a season in Italy and returned to his home by the sea near Barcelona, where he competed in Ironman competitions and travelled around Europe as a fan to watch big derby matches.
As he weighed up his options, he was approached by Barcelona and sounded out about becoming their coach. He asked for time to think about it and consult his wife, then Barca offered the job to Gerardo Martino.
With Martino’s future unsure, Enrique is among the favourites to replace him. The Asturian has done well at Celta, taking a team who finished 17th last season and only avoided relegation with two wins in their final games to a stable mid-table position. Celta had spent the previous five seasons in the second division.
They have improved as the season progressed and have an impressive away form with six wins – more than fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Those away wins against Villarreal, Sevilla, Malaga, Granada, Real Betis and Levante have contrasted with their home form – just three victories, the lowest in La Liga.
A win at Camp Nou tonight is unlikely, but Enrique’s reputation has risen since his move to Galicia. He has also switched formation from 4-2-3-1 to the 4-3-3 he knew so well at Barcelona.
Enrique joined a club who had sold their best player and local hero, Iago Aspas, to Liverpool. With La Liga survival his aim, he busied himself and brought in three of his former players from Barcelona B: left winger Nolito, defender/sweeper Andreu Fontas and attacking midfielder Rafinha.
Celta’s top scorer, the Brazilian Charles, joined as the leading striker in the second division last season with Almeria. Along with defender Inigo Lopez, the new arrivals have been Celta’s best players this season.
Enrique will progress and can call on his experience of playing under excellent coaches such as Vicente del Bosque, Sir Bobby Robson, Louis van Gaal and Jorge Valdano.
“You learn something from everyone, even the bad coaches,” he says. “Because they tell you something and you think: ‘I’ll never do that in the future.’ It’s far better to learn positive and interesting things, though.
“The trainer I learnt most from about the field of play was Van Gaal, even though he’s the one I’ve had the most confrontations with – well, disagreements. He’s got an obsession with work ethic, the way he plans. Maybe I preferred a lighter style to his.”
Barca are feeling better than at any point this season. But you can understand how much this legend would love to burst their bubble.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
