Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso lauds former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique as ‘a great coach with many qualities’

Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso has lauded Luis Enrique as a “great coach with many qualities”, amid rumours the former Barcelona boss is being lined up as a replacement for Antonio Conte.

Enrique has emerged as a potential replacement for Conte, given Chelsea’s struggles this season.

The Blues sit fifth in the Premier League and were roundly criticised for their recent defensive performance against Manchester City, as they lost 1-0 at the Etihad.

And amid rumours that the club could turn to Enrique as their next manager, Alonso has delivered a glowing assessment of the Spaniard.

“'Luis Enrique has shown at Barcelona that he is a great coach with many qualities and I believe he would be good for any club, but I do not know him a lot on a personal level,” he told Cope.

Alonso also acknowledged that Chelsea have a tough job on their hands in the second-leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash against Barcelona, now managed by Ernesto Valverde.

“When we face Barcelona in the Camp Nou we will have to put in a perfect performance to progress to the next round, this is clear.

“We will go to the match with a lot of confidence and belief in what we are capable of doing, especially after the first leg,” he added.