Luis Enrique to leave Barcelona at end of season

By Richard Martin BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will leave the Spanish La Liga champions at the end of the season when his contract expires, he said on Wednesday. Luis Enrique made the announcement at a news conference after Barca thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 at the Nou Camp to keep up their bid for a third league title under the management of their former midfielder. "I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have shown in me, it's been three unforgettable years," said Luis Enrique, who has won two Liga titles, two King's Cups and the 2015 Champions League since succeeding Gerardo Martino in 2014. "In pre-season I had a meeting with (Barca directors) Albert Soler and Robert Fernandez in which I told them about the possibility of not renewing my contract," Luis Enrique said. "They told me there was no hurry to make a decision, but now that moment has arrived," he added. "This is a very difficult decision for me which I have thought about for a very long time but I think I have to be loyal and do what I think is right." Barca top the standings on 57 points, one ahead of Real Madrid who have played one game fewer. Luis Enrique has also led his team to the King's Cup final but suffered heavy criticism after Barcelona were crushed 4-0 by Paris St Germain in their Champions League last 16 first-leg game two weeks ago. Luis Enrique followed in the footsteps of former team mate Pep Guardiola in leading Barca to the treble in his first season in charge, although his reign has also witnessed turbulent moments. The coach was reported to be on the brink of dismissal in January 2015 due to his rocky relationship with Lionel Messi after leaving the Argentine talisman out of the starting line-up. While he has overseen spectacular football, fired by the prolific attacking partnership of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, he has been criticised for abandoning the team's style of play perfected by Guardiola which was geared around controlled possession in midfield. He bore the brunt of criticism for the harrowing defeat by PSG which has left Barca on the brink of their earliest elimination from the Champions League in a decade. Luis Enrique said he had become exhausted from the constant pressure that comes with the Barca job and needed time out to recover. "In my work I am constantly looking for solutions and that means I get no time to rest, I need to rest and that's my main motive for leaving," he added. "I'd like to show my gratitude to the club for the confidence they have shown in me throughout my career." Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu paid tribute to Luis Enrique. "We're very happy with the work he has done up to now and we have to accept his decision and support him. We now have to focus on competing in the next three months, but Luis Enrique will leave in the summer and we've had a super coach for the last three years," Bartomeu told reporters. (Editing by Ed Osmond)