Football
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Barcelona coach Luis Enrique wants shorter contracts for managers

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has said that football managers should not sign contracts lasting longer than six months.

Luis Enrique had great success during his first season with the club, winning the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey last year but was continually hesitant to confirm his position at the club. This also came amid rumours of strained relationships with the Barca board.

Last summer however, he signed an extension to his original two-year contract with the La Liga frontrunners, taking him up to 2017.

With his team well on its way to repeat the 'treble' success of last year, they lead the aggregate against Arsenal 3-1 in the 'round of 16' of the Champions League.

In a news conference ahead of Wednesday's second leg match, Luis Enrique said: "I would make it so there is never a contract of more than six months.

"If I'm not happy and not convinced I can help my team, then I would not continue. That would not make sense to me. The shorter the better."

Barca coaches typically have a history of refraining from long-term commitments. Famously, former boss Pep Guardiola would only sign one-year contracts only deciding whether to stay at the club as the season came to an end.

This of course contrasts hugely from the attitude of the club's English opponents Arsenal, who are about to celebrate 20 years at the top spot for manager Arsene Wenger. Also consider the 27 year tenure by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United before he retired of his own accord in 2013.

Asked if he saw himself doing something similar at Barcelona, Luis Enrique laughed out loud.

"Madre mia... that's impossible here," he said. "That would be impossible for me, all the time it is more difficult for coaches. There are more teams who can win things. So it makes it difficult to spend so many years in one job. Here nobody gifts you anything."

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