Former coach of the Spanish national team and Barcelona FC, Luis Enrique, lost his nine-year-old daughter to cancer. Enrique shared the tragic news on Twitter stating that his daughter Xana died after a five-month battle with the disease.
Notably, Enrique had stepped down as the manager of the Spain team in June to spend time with his ailing daughter.
“Our daughter Xana has died this afternoon at the age of 9, after struggling for five intense months with osteosarcoma. We thank you for all the love received during these months and we appreciate the discretion and understanding,” he said in a statement on Friday.
“We would also like to give personal thanks to the hospitals Sant Joan de Deu and Sant Pau for their dedication and treatment and to all the volunteers, with a special mention to the palliative priests at Sant Joan de Deu.
“We will miss you a lot but we will think of you every day of our lives with the hope that in the future we will meet again. You will be the star that guides our family. Rest well little Xana,” the statement added.
Ever since the statement was made public, many football clubs and players have come out to express their condolences and his family. A former Real Madrid and Barcelona player, Enrique managed Barcelona between 2014 and 2017. He led them to a couple of La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey titles and even won the Champions League once.