Luis Enrique will not manage Barcelona under Joan Laporta | OneFootball

Barcelona are already considering their options for the post-Hansi Flick era, but it appears that it will not be former coach Luis Enrique. The Asturian has demonstrated his exceptional talents at Paris Saint-Germain, winning two Champions League back-to-back, and in the space of just three years. Combined with his 2015 triumph with Barcelona, he has become just the fifth manager to win three or more European Cups.

It has been suggested that Luis Enrique could be one of the names that could come back to Barcelona down the line. He has never hidden his affection for the Catalan side, and there is arguably no better manager that would be available to them to replace Flick when the time comes. Yet Barcelona appear to be interested in Cesc Fabregas as a potential replacement for Flick.

Luis Enrique would not coach with Alejandro Echevarria present

The reason that Luis Enrique would not be in the running is down to his own preferences. The former Spain manager is brutally strict on who he brings into his team and into the dressing room. If he were to be in charge, he would want full control over who is close to the players. Catalunya Radio say this rules him out of returning to the club while Joan Laporta is President, as this would clash with one of his most trusted advisors.

Under Laporta, ex-brother-in-law Alejandro Echevarria has enjoyed almost carte blanche access within the club, and is close to the players and often in the dressing room. Laporta publicly defended Echevarria’s role as a fixer and advisor during the Barcelona election campaign earlier this year, and he is thought to wield significant power in the decision-making at the club.

Who is Alejandro Echevarria?

Echevarria first met Laporta through family connections, and at one time was part of his board during his first spell at Barcelona. However he was forced to resign after it was found out that he was a member of the Francisco Franco Foundation, a society that espouses propaganda about the former Spanish fascist dictator, who advocated for the annihilation of Catalan, and murdered thousands of innocent civilians. He then returned to the club as an unofficial advisor in Laporta’s second term too.