Football Soccer - Barcelona v Leganes - Spanish La Liga Santander - Camp Nou stadium, Barcelona, Spain - 19/02/17 - Barcelona's coach Luis Enrique Martinez before the match against Leganes. REUTERS/Albert Gea
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Luis Enrique's announcement that he will quit Barcelona at the end of the season was expected, but the timing - at the end of a news conference after his side thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 - came as a surprise.
In fact, he had first considered not renewing his contract beyond next summer during pre-season, he said, after a dramatic slide at the end of the second campaign. Barca had exited the Champions League and could only claim a league title that had looked to be sewn up on the final day of the season.
