Cristiano Ronaldo wants Luis Enrique to replace Solskjaer at Manchester United

The Spain coach was asked about the reports

Posted Monday, November 22, 2021 by Marca.com

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been sacked as Manchester United manager after the Red Devils' 4-1 defeat away at Watford on Saturday and several coaches have emerged as potential successors, with Luis Enrique also being mentioned as a candidate.

A slow start to the season saw the Norwegian coach part ways with the Premier League side, who are currently sitting seventh in the league table after registering one win in their last seven games.

According to Sky Sports, Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo would like to see Spain boss Luis Enrique take charge of the team after Solskjaer's departure.

Luis Enrique's reaction

The Spain coach was in charge of teams such as Celta Vigo and Roma before he was appointed by Barcelona, with whom he won the treble back in 2015.

Luis Enrique was named coach of the Spanish national team in 2018, but he had to step aside for four months due to personal reasons before returning in November 2019.

Despite being on the receiving end of criticism because of the players he called up ahead of the 2020 European Championship, the former Barcelona coach managed to lead a youthful and exciting Spain side to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by winners Italy.

Then, following a solid tournament, Spain secured a spot in the 2022 World Cup under the 51-year-old tactician.

Asked about Manchester United's potential interest in his services after news emerged about Cristiano Ronaldo wanting to see Luis Enrique coach the Red Devils, the Spain boss made clear that he is focused on his job with La Roja.

"Is it April Fools' Day?" Luis Enrique responded after a journalist's question.

"What I really want is to coach the Spanish national team.

"There are 5,000 players [to choose from]. I have all the players I need. What's better than this?

The other candidates

There are several names that have emerged as Solskjaer's potential successor, with former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers and Paris Saint-Germain tactician Mauricio Pochettino all being targets.