Maybe it was the New York marathon. Maybe it was the Quebrantahuesos, or bone crusher race, 205km through the Pyrenees. Maybe it was the Frankfurt Ironman, a 10-hour triathlon. Or the Sables marathon in Morocco, 255km through the desert with a 10-kilo rucksack. Whatever it was, Luis Enrique says that Saturday’s Champions League final against Juventus is not the biggest challenge of his life.
He never won the Champions League as a player and had never won anything as a manager before this season, either. Now, he stands 90 minutes away from leading Barcelona to a unique second treble. It is, he said, “spectacular”‚ the chance to “go down in history”, insisting that he anticipates an “open, fun game, like we see so rarely”.
But, asked if it was the biggest moment of his life, the biggest challenge he has faced, Luis Enrique responded: “No.” Asked how he felt before the final, he replied: “I am the way you see me here: relaxed.”
If Luis Enrique was not getting over-excited, Neymar was. Sitting just in front of him was the European Cup. “I hope to be able to give it a kiss tomorrow,” he said. “I have played lots of finals but I think this is the most important. It is the biggest game of my life and I will do all I can to come out of it a winner.
“Being in this final is a dream I had since I was six or seven. And now the moment is here.”
