Photo by FCBarcelona.com
By RYAN TOLMICH
Just one day after parting ways with Gerardo Martino, Barcelona have already found his replacement.
Former Barca midfielder Luis Enrique will take over at the Camp Nou, according to an announcement by the club, having signed a two year deal to manage the team he played with from 1996-2004.
Enrique began his managerial career in charge of Barcelona B, earning promotion in his second year in charge. His next move saw him take over Italian giants Roma before returning to his home country to manage La Liga side Celta Vigo. Enrique will join Pep Guardiola as the only men to captain Barcelona, manage the B team and take the reigns of the clubs’s first team.
Enrique’s time at the Camp Nou will begin with a new goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Barcelona announced Monday that they have added the 22-year-old German keeper, who will join the Catalan club from Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach. With ter Stegen’s arrival, the club will not extend a new deal to backup keeper Jose Manuel Pinto, who will leave the club this summer.
Enrique and ter Stegen will also be joined by Gerard Deulofeu and Rafinha Alcantara, who will return from loan spells with Everton and Celta Vigo, respectively.
Here are some other items from a busy Monday in soccer:
CONTE TO REMAIN AT JUVENTUS
It may not have been the most official announcement in the club’s history, but Juventus found a way to get their message across nonetheless.
A tweet from the club’s official account reading, “2014-15 season: coach Antonio Conte,” ended speculation surrounding the departure of the Italian manager. Conte will remain in charge of the Serie A champions, who picked up their third consecutive Scudetto with a record-breaking 102 points this season.
Speculation regarding Conte’s departure stemmed from a meeting with president Andrea Agnelli on Monday. However, Conte will continue leading the club that he has managed since 2011.
NEUER, LAHM TO BE FIT FOR WORLD CUP
After picking up injuries in their club’s cup win over the weekend, Germany’s Manuel Neuer and Phillip Lahm have been declared fit for next month’s World Cup.
German champions Bayern Munich tweeted the news Monday that the two national team mainstays would be ready to join their compatriots in the next week.
Lahm will take a week off from training after injuring his ankle in Saturday’s DFB Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund. Neuer, meanwhile, picked up a small tear in his shoulder, but the club announced he would join his team for training camp after some time in a sling.
The addition of two probable starters comes as a big boost to Germany, which is grouped with Portugal, Ghana and the United States in Brazil.
FABREGAS COULD LEAVE BARCA FOR $75 MILLION
With Financial Fair Play looming, Barcelona may be selling one of their biggest stars in an effort to comply with FIFA’s regulations.
Midfielder Cesc Fabregas may be on his way out of Spain, as Barcelona are prepared to sell the Spain international this summer. Both Arsenal and Manchester United have been told Fabregas could be available for the hefty price of $75 million.
Alexis Sanchez, Javier Mascherano, Christian Tello, Pedro, and Dani Alves could also move in the summer if the right offer comes in.
—
What do you think of Barcelona’s moves? Will Juventus complete the four-peat? How will Germany fare in Brazil? Which Barcelona players do you expect to leave the club?
Share your thoughts below.