Laurent Blanc could have replaced Luis Enrique at Barcelona

Luis Enrique could win his first Spain title on Sunday against France in the Nations League final. One of his former team-mates Laurent Blanc, meanwhile, has revealed he could have been his replacement at Barcelona.

The Asturian did not stay when his deal was up and the club were looking at Blanc, who played for Barca in the 96-97 season.

“We spoke two or three times with Eric Abidal,” Blanc explained. “Obviously it would have been a dream to coach a club like Barca but it didn’t happen for various reasons. It was not the moment or someone thought I wasn’t prepared for it. That’s life.”

He also spoke about Lionel Messi’s departure to PSG.

“For French football it’s amazing to have Messi, Neymar and Mbappe in the same league. PSG are on another planet yes, but for the French league it’s good to see these players week after week.

“If I look at it from Barca’s perspective I think they have made some monumental errors. Monumental. Not just for Messi but in the past four or five years. They lost incredible players, which a club like Barça cannot allow. It’s very hard to replace a Neymar or Messi.”