Inside Luis Enrique’s Spain camp as new boss makes his mark ahead of Wembley clash with England

The Luis Enrique era has begun in earnest, as Spain look to bounce back after their World Cup disappointment.

La Roja headed to Russia among the favourites, but after Julen Lopetegui’s shock departure on the eve of the tournament they failed to hit the heights expected.

They were duly dumped out at the last 16 stage after an insipid display against a limited Russia side, falling on penalties despite dominating possession.


It is that possession style that has been a hallmark during Spain’s golden era.
But questions have been asked since their World Cup exit over whether the side’s desire for possession has made them less incisive and thus rendered a much-vaunted attack relatively ineffective; certainly the Russia clash suggested so.

That is something that was similarly queried about Barcelona when Enrique walked through the door at Camp Nou four years ago.

He subsequently turned Barcelona into a side that still looked to dominate, but were capable of being more direct and cutting in transition – leading to their Champions League triumph in 2015.

Now, at a time when Spain are looking to kick-on and prove that their Russia demise was just a one-off shock rather than anything more major, Enrique is setting about doing things his way.

He met up with his first Spain squad on Monday, ahead of their Europa Nations League fixtures with England and Croatia as Las Rozas.

Here’s how he’s already set about making his mark.

A united front with his captain

Spain’s players arrived at the Ciudad del Fútbol on the outskirts of Madrid on Monday afternoon.
Sergio Ramos, the captain, was in relaxed mood as he arrived and he will continue as the team’s leader under the new boss.

Ramos said hello to all of the staff, but the new boss was conspicuous by his absence. However, he was quickly given a little barge from Enrique, with the two sharing a smile.

Enrique stated on Tuesday that the pair had not spoken ahead of time, but says Ramos will be continuing as skipper. Luis Enrique and Sergio Ramos share a hug 

“I have not spoken to any player, except for [Gerard] Piqué. It’s my style. I have not considered it necessary. There is no need for a revolution, evolution is necessary. He [Ramos] is the captain, who has the most matches.”

Simply put, the Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry doesn’t need to become part of the national side narrative again; certainly, the early signs appear that the new coach and captain are on the same page.

Luis Enrique points the way as Sergio Ramos gets down to business (Image: REX/Shutterstock)