Barca: Luis Enrique to quit at the end of the season. Says he "need to rest".

Luis Enrique

The Barcelona manager said in a post-match news conference he will leave at the end of the season because he need to rest after his third season with the club.

Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique has announced that he will be stepping down at the end of the season.

The Barcelona coach’s contract will expire in June and he will not renew it, claiming the “need for rest”.

He confirmed this news while speaking at the post-match news conference, after their goal fest 6-1 win over Sporting Gijon which temporarily took them to the top of the table waiting for Real Madrid to play its own match.

“I want to announce to everyone that I won’t continue at Barcelona next year. It’s difficult, but a decision I have thought about.

“I need to rest. That’s the main reason why I am not going to continue.”

"It is a difficult, measured and well thought-out decision and I think I have to be loyal to what I think,"

"I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have shown in me. It's been three unforgettable years."

“The most important thing is we have three exciting months left in all three competitions. In one of them, we are in a difficult situation but if the stars align, we will have a chance to turn it around,” Enrique explained.

Luis Enrique started as a player for Barcelona in 1996 and featured in 207 games before leaving the pitch in 2004.

He later returned as a coach in Barcelona team B from 2008-11 and had coaching spells with Roma and Celta before coming back to coach Barca's first team in 2014.