Luis Enrique is set to manage in his second Champions League final later this month after guiding PSG past Arsenal in their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night.
A decade on from winning the competition with Barcelona, Enrique will be back on the touchline for the biggest game in club football, and there are few that would begrudge him the honour after he suffered a family tragedy six years ago.
Back in 2019, Enrique stepped away from coaching the Spanish national team to spend more time with his daughter, Xana, after she was diagnosed with bone cancer.
Xana sadly passed away aged just nine on August 29, 2019, leaving Enrique and his wife, Elena Cullell, devastated.
Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, but Enrique spoke movingly last year about why he still considered himself to have been ‘very lucky’ in life.
Reflecting on Xana’s heartbreaking death, Enrique explained: ‘Can I consider myself lucky or unfortunate? I consider myself lucky, very lucky.
Luis Enrique won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 and celebrated on the pitch with his daughter, Xana
Xana died aged just nine from bone cancer in 2019, but Enrique explained last year why he still considers himself ‘very lucky’
‘”But your daughter died at nine years old”. Well, my daughter came to live with us for nine wonderful years. We have thousands of memories from her, videos, incredible things.’
The clip of Enrique’s tribute to his daughter proceeded to show Xana doing a gymnastics routine in the garden as her family filmed and watched on proudly.
Enrique then continued: ‘My mother couldn’t keep photos of Xana until I arrived home and asked her “why aren’t there any photos of Xana, mum?”
“I can’t, I can’t”. “Mum, you have to put (photos of Xana) up”. Xana is alive. She isn’t in the physical plane, but she is in the spiritual plane. Because every day we talk about her, we laugh and remember.
‘Because I think that Xana still sees us. What do I want Xana to think about how we lived this?’
The video concluded with Xana enjoying activities such as playing the piano with a beaming smile on her face.
Enrique’s touching words highlighted how he still feels Xana is with him every day, and he is determined to make her proud of him.
Enrique returned to take charge of Spain just three months after Xana’s passing and led them into the 2022 World Cup.
Enrique and his wife, Elena Cullell (left), were devastated by the loss of their daughter, but Enrique has stayed positive and wants to focus on the ‘incredible memories’
He has previously explained how his mum did not initially want photos in the house of Xana as it was too painful, but he convinced her that Xana’s memory had to live on
Enrique will get his chance to create PSG history when his side face Inter Milan on May 31
He was relieved of his duties after the tournament following Spain’s penalty shootout defeat by Morocco in the round of 16.
But he was not away from the dugout for long as he was appointed PSG manager in July 2023.
He had to cope without Lionel Messi and Neymar after they both left PSG to move to Inter Miami and Al-Hilal, respectively, that summer.
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Yet he still won Ligue 1 and the French Cup in his first season at the club.
Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid last summer, leaving Enrique to adapt without another star player.
The 55-year-old manager has done exactly that, with PSG strolling to another league title, while they have also reached the finals of the French Cup and Champions League.
PSG are just two games away from a historic Treble, and have already knocked Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal out of Europe this season.
Only Inter Milan stand in the way of the French giants winning the Champions League for the first time in their history, on what promises to be an emotional night for Enrique as he looks to continue to make Xana proud.
