La Liga 2016/17: Luis Enrique speaks after being omitted from La Liga Manager of the Year nominees

Not nominated in the top three managers of La Liga despite winning it – Luis Enrique

The La Liga annual awards ceremony was held in Valencia on Monday, on a night which was marred by the absence of the Barcelona team. The Catalans boycotted the ceremony after their coach Luis Enrique was omitted from the top three nominees for the best La Liga Manager last season despite winning the La Liga last year.

Also Read: La Liga 2016/17: Barcelona stars boycott La Liga Awards Ceremony

Luis Enrique himself was asked about his absence from the nomination list to which he gave a sarcastic response. 

“Am I surprised at not being among the three? A good question. I suppose I’d be among the 20, right?” he replied, in a sarcastic tone after Barcelona’s 1-0 defeat to Espanyol in the Copa Catalunya on Tuesday.

He also commented on his absence at the awards ceremony saying, “They [the LFP] hadn’t even invited me. Perhaps as they know that I don’t go to these type of events so they preferred not to.”

The Barcelona manager, however, did not criticise the event and its prizes and said that these type of shows did not interest him. “What I’m concerned about is that my players end the season winning titles,” said Enrique.

Not bothered by criticism, says Enrique

He also did not want to give importance to the criticism received for resting most of his first team players for the Catalan Super Cup. He stated that the first team has a brutal schedule and hence deserved their rest. 

Barcelona has been criticised in the past for fielding weak teams in a few friendly tournaments. “I’m pleased with the role of all my players [against Espanyol], of the image they gave and of what they offered. You have to put yourself in my situation, although I accept that it could have annoyed some people,” said Enrique when asked about the same. 

Luis Enrique also said that he hadn’t heard or read anything with respect to the controversy surrounding Neymar who supposedly provoked the fans at Mestalla. “We have to continue with our own business, ignore the rest,” he said.

Deserved more from the game, says Enrique

He also had words of support for Paco Alcacer who is in a goal drought, “There were very few spaces and nine defenders in the area.”

“We deserved more than the final result reflects because we had the ball and the possession all the time. They scored with their only moment of danger,” said Luis Enrique, reflecting on the 1-0 defeat in the game.

Arda Turan, Jeremy Mathieu, and Paco Alcacer were the notable players in a weak Barcelona line-up for the game. 

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