Enrique: Pep's return will be special
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique admitted the return of club legend Pep Guardiola to the Camp Nou when Bayern Munich face the Catalans in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final will be an emotional occasion for all involved.
Enrique and Guardiola played together in the Barca midfield during the 1990s and Enrique then succeeded Guardiola as Barça B team coach when he moved up to manage the first team in 2008. Guardiola went on to be the most successful coach in Barcelona's history as he won 14 trophies in a glorious four-year spell with what is widely regarded as one of the best teams in the history of the game.
"It is a special game because Pep is on the other side, it will be the first time that he has faced his Barça, it will be the first time that I have faced him as a coach, which will be special for me, and I am sure it will also be for my players," Enrique said on Friday.
Pep is the best because he has won many titles, because of his style of football and how he has adapted to a new country with a very difficult language.Luis Enrique
Barça will host the German champions on 6 May before travelling to the Allianz Arena six days later. However, Enrique dismissed suggestions that his side had been the unfortunate ones given the quality that Bayern possess and having to play the second leg away from home.
"In a draw like this I always think the team that has to play against this Barça has had little luck. Bayern aspire to win everything like us and they have the best coach. Pep is the best because he has won many titles, because of his style of football and how he has adapted to a new country with a very difficult language."
There will also be a friendly rivalry in midfield where brothers Thiago and Rafinha Alcantara could face each other. Thiago left Barca to join Bayern in 2013 and has made an impressive return from a year out with a knee injury as he scored in both legs of the quarter-final against Porto to inspire a sensational comeback from the five-time winners, who won the return 6-1 after losing the first leg 3-1.
The two were speaking to one another on the social networking app Facetime as the draw was being made.