Spain boss Luis Enrique jokes he’ll pick Ferran Torres at World Cup 2022 ‘or daughter will come and chop my head off’
LUIS ENRIQUE has joked his daughter will chop his head off if he does not pick Ferran Torres at the World Cup.
Ahead of Spain‘s Qatar World Cup opener against Costa Rica, the former Barcelona boss was asked who he felt was an extension of himself on the field of play.
To this Enrique replied: “Very easy – It’s Mr Ferran Torres – otherwise my daughter will come after me and chop off my head.”
The former Manchester City star is dating Enrique’s daughter Sira Martinez.
The pair went public with their relationship earlier this year, but reports of their acquaintance with one another stretched back into late last year.
Sira is a professional Spanish show-jumper in Barcelona and is a member of the swanky Barcelona Royal Polo Club.
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Torres swapped Man City for Barcelona last January and has scored 12 goals and added seven assists in 44 appearances.
He has also been a regular in the Spanish national team and is expected to start against Costa Rica on Wednesday despite an eight game drought which has seen him not score since March this year.
Asked whether he felt extra pressure due to his relationship with Enrique’s daughter at a press conference, he said: “Not at all.
“I think the coach and I, we know how to differentiate between when it’s family and when we are manager and player.
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“I think we have to get on with it in a natural way, just that and we’re getting along fine.”
On the match against Costa Rica and the prospect of progressing through a group which contains 2014 World champions Germany, he added: “When you play against a team that is closed it’s always harder.
“They (Costa Rica) play in a very compact way. It will be hard.
“We are a team with a lot ahead of us, we are very young.
“The young ones, we are very hungry, very ambitious and keen to show off our football.”