Luis Enrique press conference to introduce Barca: Determined to restore honor for Barca

Speaking to the media at his unveiling as the new FC Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique declared “today is the moment we start building a new team that can give hope to everyone”.

Luis Enrique in an interview

Also in this press conference, the new captain of the Catalan team, who was the captain of Barca when he was a player and later coach of the red-blue youth team at the Masia academy, happily answered all the questions about his dreams, pressure, football philosophy, playing style, rebuilding plan when returning to the Nou Camp as well as about his players.

Like a dream: "Everything a coach can dream of has now come true. I understand my responsibility in this project."

All of Luis Enrique's playing and coaching careers

On the pressure on the bench: "I'm used to it. We arrived at a 'bad' moment in quotes, because Barca were empty-handed for the first time after a long period of being a famous team all over the world. The audience was used to a football from another galaxy. The demands were very high. To cope with this challenge, I understand that titles won by punches will not be valuable for Barca. I am here for titles and for beautiful football."

View of a coach: "Tell me what kind of person a coach should be? Some people think a coach should be handsome, cute... But for me, a coach must first and foremost be a leader and have the ability to deal with all situations. I'm not only talking about technical and tactical knowledge but also how to deal with egos, motivate, understand players, and make decisions. I will try to demonstrate what it means to be a leader, according to my principles."

Happy to have Messi: "I feel great to have the best player in the world on my team. This excites me. Leo also wants to continue staying at Barca and so does the club. It's true that Leo's performance this year is not as incredible as in previous years, but Leo is still number one, indispensable to the team. I want Messi to return to his best version and have the best relationship with me. I also want the same with all the other players."

Lionel Messi has just extended his contract with Barca until 2019

Xavi: "Xavi is a friend and an old teammate. Many wonderful things can be said about him. The time will come when we will sit down together to see what Xavi and we want."

Mascherano: "He is an important player both on and off the pitch, an example of what a captain should be. There will be enough time to make the right decisions."

Offensive football philosophy: "We will play offensive football, with the football that has attracted millions of people around the world. We will also strengthen the defense. That is my job. Everyone knows how Barca plays and we will maintain that style of play, but we need to improve and develop it to surprise our opponents. We will make everyone who loves Barcelona want to watch a match of this team. I will try to bring new colors to make Barca an attractive version. I think I have the ability to contribute something to the club and the players. That is also my challenge."

Locker room manager: "I will do as I did when I was in charge of Barca B, Celta or Roma... I don't think it's necessary to have an iron fist, but mainly understanding. I admire them as a partner and will help them as a coach. A player often has his own perspective, I want to give them a comprehensive perspective. I will be very demanding but also want them to feel comfortable in training and competing."

Planning for the team: "I just landed. There will be changes and we will try to strengthen the team in the best way, make it more fighting. We will strengthen in all lines. It is not an easy job".

Barca's philosophy: "My first goal is to set the standards of playing football, before talking about winning or losing. My job is to make the players shine at their best, creating competition in both training and competition. They need to give their all in every match, whether at home or away. First of all, I want the club to have titles and its own identity."

Pep Guardiola: "Don't compare me with Pep... because I haven't won anything here. It's true that we talk to each other. We are friends and so are our wives. I congratulate him for winning the title in his first year at a new team, in a new league, in a new language (4)... I have to take my hat off to him."

According to Bongdaplus