Luis Enrique: I fired ‘disloyal’ Robert Moreno from Spain role

Luis Enrique returned to his post as Spain manager and took full responsibility for Robert Moreno's departure from the national team set-up, accusing his predecessor and former assistant of being disloyal.

“I do not want anyone like that on my staff,” Luis Enrique said. In an extraordinary press conference, the returning Spain manager claimed that Moreno had proposed remaining in charge until after Euro 2020 and then working as Luis Enrique’s assistant and that he had rejected the idea.

“The only time I have seen Moreno in all this time was on September 12th when we had a 20-, 30-minute meeting at my home,” Luis Enrique said. “He was clear that he wanted to coach at the Euros and then I could come back and he would work as my assistant. It wasn’t a surprise: I could see it coming.

“I try to put myself in his position, I understand it; I understand that he worked hard to be there, to have that opportunity, and that he is ambitious, but for me it was disloyal, and I would never do that.

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"I do not want anyone with that personality on my staff. Ambition is a virtue but over-ambition is not: it is a great defect. That is why I took the decision I took. I told him that day that I didn't ever see him as a No 2 on my staff. I told him I felt like going back to work, but not yet when. The only person responsible for the fact that Robert Moreno is not here, it's me. It's not the [Spanish football federation] president [LUIS]Rubiales or [its sporting director José] Molina, nor the federation."

Moreno had taken temporary charge after Luis Enrique suddenly left the Spain team camp in March following news that his daughter Xana was seriously ill. Although he continued to manage the team from a distance with Moreno taking his place on the bench, in June Luis Enrique announced that he was stepping down. Moreno was handed the job and given a contract until the end of Euro 2020, although Rubiales said that was always on the understanding that Luis Enrique could return. His daughter died on August 29th.

In September Moreno had said that he would be delighted to step aside if Luis Enrique wanted to return, but it is clear that his attitude changed. The following month Luis Enrique told the federation that he was ready to come back. When Moreno became aware of discussions to bring Luis Enrique back, he demanded that his future be clarified. He left following Spain’s final qualification game last Monday, departing the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in tears. The following day, it was announced that Luis Enrique would return to his job.

Luis Enrique said on Wednesday that he did not feel proud of the way it had played out but made it clear that he blamed Moreno. “The controversy is created by someone who worked in my staff for a long time,” he said. “I am not the good guy in this, but I am definitely not the bad guy either.” - Guardian