Barcelona's Luis Enrique: 'I need to rest'

In his first article forESPN.com, Sam Borden examines the question of why soccer coaches abroad drop like flies and coaches in American sports have relative job security.

Borden, who covered internationalsoccer for the New York Times while based in Paris, writes in the aftermath of Claudio Ranieiri‘s departure from Leicester City less than a year after leading the Foxes to an improbable EPLcrown.

He talked with John Mara, the longtime owner of the New York Giants, about the phenomenon, and Mara said it was “unimaginable” that he’d fire a coach less than a year afterhe won a Super Bowl.

Borden examines a couple of the factors that make soccer coaching such a high-risk job: the lack of a salary cap and promotion-relegation (a key factor in theLeicester City decision). Another factor, Borden writes, “is the influx of wealthy investors (think sheikhs or oligarchs)” who seek “instant gratification.” (The NFL, by contrast, has a salary cap,parity and a long history of family owners, like the Maras.)

I’d add two more factors: soccer’s long season — nine-month competitive seasons, plus another month in summer for playerscompeting on national teams — and multiple competitions. The latter give teams more opportunities to earn hardware, but they also give coaches more opportunities to fail.

The bottomline: top-flight soccer is wearing on a coach.

Exhibit A: Luis Enrique, who announced on Wednesday, following Barcelona’s 6-1win over Sporting Gijon, that he was quitting as Barca coach at the end of the season.

“In preseason,” he said, “I had a meeting with [club directors Albert] Soler and Robert[Fernandez], during which I spoke about the possibility of not renewing. They told me that there was no rush to decide. But the moment has arrived. The reason is the way I have to live thisprofession, constantly looking to improve. It means I have very little time to rest. It’s been a difficult, but well-thought-through decision. I need to rest. I would like to thank the club for theconfidence they have shown in me and for three unforgettable years.”

In his first two seasons as Barca head coach, Luis Enrique led it to back-to-back league and cup doubles, the2015 UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup — eight trophies in all in two-plus years — and he was done in by the pressure of the job: “constantly looking to improve.”

The ironyis that Luis Enrique announced his decision on the day Barca retook La Liga lead after Real Madrid tied. Real Madrid, which led Barca by five points at the beginning of January, still has a game inhand. Barcelona is also still alive in the Champions League (barely) and Copa del Rey, but Luis Enrique is a victim of the curse of multiple competitions.

Barca could win La Liga again,but Luis Enrique would still be viewed harshly because of its failure in the Champions League, where it’s given little chance against Paris St. Germain after a 4-0 loss in the first leg of the roundof 16.

“There are three months left, and we are in a difficult situation, especially in one competition [the Champions League],” Luis Enrique said. “But with the help of everyone — and ifthe stars align — we can turn things around [against PSG on March 8]. My dedication during the coming three months will be total.”