Advertisement

Soccer-Luis Enrique dismisses questions on Barcelona future

BARCELONA, May 22 (Reuters) - Barcelona coach Luis Enrique on Friday dismissed questions about whether he will stay on next season, saying he will comment once the current campaign, when the Catalan giants could secure a treble of trophies, is over. Coming to the end of his first term in charge at the Nou Camp, Luis Enrique has a contract until June 2016 but the club is due to hold elections for president over the summer and a new regime could decide fresh faces are needed. Barca wrapped up a fifth La Liga title in seven years last weekend and are through to the King's Cup final to play Athletic Bilbao on May 30 and face Juventus in the Champions League final a week later. They host Deportivo La Coruna in their final La Liga match of the season on Saturday. "I have nothing to say," Luis Enrique told a news conference when asked about his future. "I have three matches ahead of me and I will talk once the season is over," added the former Barca and Spain midfielder. He said he had not yet discussed preparations for next term with the club's technical committee. Luis Enrique said midfielder Xavi, who announced on Thursday he was leaving to join Qatari side Al Sadd, would start Saturday's match against Deportivo, after which the club captain will present the La Liga trophy to fans. Defender Thomas Vermaelen, who has yet to debut for Barca after joining from Arsenal in the close season due to injury, would also feature, the coach added. Asked about negotiations on extending the contract of Brazil right back Dani Alves, whose deal expires at the end of the season, Luis Enrique said the player and the club "have to talk". If Barca win the domestic Cup and Europe's elite club competition, they would repeat their achievement from 2008-09 under Pep Guardiola, when they became the first Spanish team to win the treble. (Writing by Iain Rogers, editing by Justin Palmer)