Luis Enrique Announces Tragic Passing of His 9-Year-Old Daughter After Battle With Cancer
Former Spain national team coach and Barcelona legend Luis Enrique has announced the tragic passing of his nine-year-old daughter, Xana, who had been fighting bone cancer for five months.
Xana, Enrique’s youngest child, famously accompanied her father on the pitch in the post-match celebrations that followed Barcelona’s 2015 Champions League final victory over Juventus, a game that completed a second historic treble for the club.
Luis Enrique's daughter passed away today at the age of 9, having suffered from bone cancer for the last 5 months.
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) August 29, 2019
Our thoughts are with him and his family at what must be such an impossibly difficult time. https://t.co/Bl3wJdhnCc
Enrique confirmed the awful news via Twitter on Thursday evening, releasing a short statement.
The 49-year-old had formally stepped away from his job with Spain in June for personal reasons, having already been granted a leave of absence since March, choosing to be with his family at this incredible difficult time as his daughter battled her illness.
Enrique won two La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey titles, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup during his three seasons as Barcelona coach.
As a player, he was a three-time La Liga winner across spells with Barça and Real Madrid, while he represented his country at three World Cups.