Luis Enrique will face Juve in the Champions League final, and will surely want to win this game at all costs to write his own name into the history books.
The Bianconeri have been written off by many, and with Barcelona installed as firm favourites, Enrique might expect to reach the pinnacle of his career tomorrow and win Europe’s premier competition. But for the 45-year-old on a personal level, glory may not be the only motivation.
Any Barcelona coach has a point to prove from the moment he is appointed, such is the nature of being at a top club anywhere, but especially at one of the big La Liga giants.
However, Luis Enrique may well feel that he has a point to prove in Italy. A torrid spell in charge of Roma saw the Giallorossi finish in a disappointing seventh position in the 2011-12 season.
Beating a domestically dominant Juventus on the biggest stage possible, might bring some redemption to the man and silence his critics who were so glad to see him leave Serie A.
It was Enrique’s first major job after an accomplished player career when he had won three La Liga titles, a European Cup Winner’s Cup and an Olympic gold medal. As a coach however, he only had three years at Barcelona B.
The season was one full of hope at the outset with possible European football in the Europa League, and aspirations to significantly improve on a sixth place finish the season prior under Vincenzo Montella’s brief stewardship.
But much like Roma’s most recent campaign, a European nightmare sent it crashing down. A tricky qualifying round tie against Slovakian champions Slovan Bratislava was always going to be awkward to negotiate, but progression was still expected.
A 2-1 loss on aggregate courtesy of a late goal in the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico cast a shadow over Enrique’s tenure before it had even begun. The controversial withdrawal of talismanic ‘il capitano’ Francesco Totti also set tongues wagging about his credentials.
The Giallorossi failed to find anything resembling the form required to push for the higher positions in the table after that.
An opening day defeat to Cagliari at home also did plenty to set the tone, and crushing defeats at the hands of AC Milan, Fiorentina, Atalanta and Lecce followed.
As if to compound the Roma faithful and Enrique’s misery further, Lazio did the double over them — a failing that is rarely abided.
Enrique’s experience in Italy was nothing short of a nightmare both for himself and the club. His tumultuous reign was not aided by a Juventus side charging towards their first Scudetto since 2003 and the Calciopoli scandal.
Although Enrique saw his team muster a draw against the Bianconeri in December at the Olimpico, it would be the Bianconeri that would have the last laugh.
One of the final nails in the beleaguered coach’s coffin was the 4-0 hiding that his 10-men received at the Juventus Stadium in April.
While plenty of Juventus fans sang and jeered him that day, Enrique may well have been able to hear a fat lady singing, as time was soon called on a season to forget in a since vastly improved coaching career.
