Jose Mourinho pays emotional tribute to Luis Enrique's daughter

Mourinho pays emotional tribute to Enrique's daughter

Jose Mourinho provided an emotional tribute to the family of Luis Enrique after the former Barcelona and Spain manager's daughter Xana passed away earlier this week.

Enrique's nine-year-old daughter had endured an intense five-month battle with a condition called osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

The Spaniard left his role as manager of the national team - a position he had held since after the World Cup - in June in order to spend more time with his family.

Speaking after Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Sky Sports Super Sunday, Mourinho said: "It's an awful situation and I feel it in a special way.

"We went together to Barcelona in 1996 and I clearly remember the start of that special relationship between Luis and Elena (Enrique's wife).

"They're incredible people and I have incredible memories of that time. It's such a sad, sad situation and unfortunately it's not just them it's many other people around the world as well [who have lost children to cancer]."

Enrique, in a post on Friday, thanked everyone for their support and said that Xana "will be the star that guides our family".

The 49-year-old, who enjoyed a successful playing career, became only the second Barcelona manager to win a treble for the club in 2015.

Author photo

Written by

Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter

Get FREE daily news and in-depth previews for games from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football — straight to your inbox.

Subscribe