Luis Enrique on player management, Mikel Arteta and being Spain manager

Speaking on his Twitch channel from Qatar, Spain head coach Luis Enrique discussed what it’s like before and after matches with La Roja.

Is it necessary to shout at a player to correct him?

“Absolutely not. If there is someone interested in doing things right, it is the player. If there is something to correct, we try to correct it. If he doesn’t correct it, I explain it to him in another way. If it happens again, he is not called up again. If he always makes the same mistakes, between me and the player, the player leaves. And I continue with my idea.”

On Mikel Arteta

“I’ve watched ‘All or Nothing’ (Arsenal series on Amazon Prime). I love Mikel Arteta.”

Pre-match feeling

“I will feel a special tingling because, when you hear the anthem, you remember your loved ones, the people who are in Spain waiting to see you succeed. It’s going to be a very beautiful and exciting first match. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Post-match fatigue

“Before matches, I sleep without any problems. What’s really hard is the post-match. The next day, you’re a bit knackered, but you take a nap and you recover.”

What does the coach do in the months when there is no international football?

“There is only one thing to do: watch a lot of matches. We also like to watch the games live to see the general idea of each team. There is a lot of work, many hours. You ask my wife and she says: ‘Oh my God, you’ve got to stop spending so much time in front of the computer’.”

GSFN