Younger football fans will best know Luis Enrique as a manager. He truly made a name for himself at Barcelona, winning a European treble in 2015, helping Lionel Messi claim his final Champions League trophy.
He currently works at Paris Saint-Germain and has proven himself as one of the best coaches on the planet, winning no less than six trophies with the French club across the calendar year of 2025: Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophee des Champions, the UEFA Champions League, the European Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
However, he was also a pretty good footballer back in the 90s, lifting La Liga with both Real Madrid and Barcelona. After retiring in 2004, though, Enrique decided he wanted to make a special pilgrimage to one stadium in England.
Luis Enrique Loved "Very Special" and "Different" Premier League Experience
psg luis enrique
Speaking ahead of PSG's Champions League quarter-final clash with Liverpool, the Spanish coach was asked about once visiting Anfield. Thinking it was still a secret, he was actually taken by surprise when the question came up, replying:
“Nice question. How do you know that? I don’t remember the match but it was nice."
It turned out he'd actually revealed the visit in a past interview. Adding more detail, Enrique then explained how he wanted to experience a game at 'one of the best stadiums in the world' as if he were just a normal supporter. And so, with no fanfare, he turned up at Anfield to watch a match:
"I wanted to live as a supporter [at] one of the best stadiums in the world, Anfield. And I enjoyed it a lot, it was different. I got the tickets because Luis Garcia was playing here and he gave me the tickets. It was very nice, very special, very different to what I lived in the past as a player. I enjoyed it a lot.”
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti in the technical area Related
Carlo Ancelotti Named ‘Exceptional’ 61k-Seater British Stadium With ‘Special’ Atmosphere
Carlo Ancelotti has visited some of the best stadiums in world football - but he praised one British ground as 'exceptional'.
Funnily enough, former Liverpool player Luis Garcia saw the comment emerge online and replied to it, explaining that the game in question was a derby match against Everton. He said: "It was Everton Luis!! Special match. Great old memories."
Johan Cruyff Also Wowed By Liverpool's Home Ground
Johan Cruyff playing for Barcelona
Johan Cruyff playing for Barcelona
Enrique isn't the only Barcelona legend to have spoken fondly about Anfield in the past either. Indeed, club icon Johan Cruyff once claimed a visit to Liverpool's home ground made him fall in love with Anfield.
He famously recalled: “I stood on the pitch at Anfield with goosebumps. Not because I was scared of our opponents but because of the atmosphere. The huge Kop stand where the most fanatical supporters were, and all their singing: Anfield was incredibly impressive.
“I really enjoyed it for 90 minutes, and we played a magnificent game. Even though it was a 2-2 draw, we were in complete control. From that evening English football had captured my heart. I had never seen anything like this – the passion for the game, and how much the fans wanted their team to win, and it made me think that one day I would like to play in England.
“Unfortunately that dream didn’t come to pass because in those days borders were still closed to foreign players. Even today I still think that was a terrible shame.”
While Cruyff never got to play or coach in England, it will be interesting to see if Enrique becomes a Premier League manager. When he does leave PSG, there will certainly be no shortage of English suitors.