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Spain manager Luis Enrique spoke about managing Barcelona forward Ferran Torres ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Spanish forward is in a relationship with Enrique's daughter Sira Martinez.
Speaking about whether this affects his equation with the manager in any way, Torres said (via Barca Blaugranes):
“Not at all. I think the coach and I, we know how to differentiate between when it’s family and when we are manager and player. I think we have to get on with it in a natural way, just that and we’re getting along fine.”
Meanwhile, Enrique jokingly named the Barcelona man as the player he liked the most from his team, saying on a Twitch stream:
“This one is very easy for me. It’s Ferran Torres. Because if not, my daughter will get me and cut my head off.”
Torres joined Barcelona in the January transfer window from Manchester City earlier this year. He has scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in 44 games for the club since then.
He will now look to help Spain in the FIFA World Cup as they prepare to face Costa Rica in their first group game on November 23. For his national side, the former Manchester City forward has scored 13 goals and provided two assists in 31 games.
Barcelona forward Ferran Torres outlines Costa Rica challenge ahead of FIFA World Cup opener
Ahead of their first group game on Wednesday, Torres shared his thoughts on their central American opponents. He admitted that it would be a tough game but showed confidence in Spain's hunger and ability.
The Barcelona man said:
“When you play against a team that is closed it’s always harder. The play in a very compact way. It will be hard. We are a team with a lot ahead of us, we are very young. The young ones, we are very hungry, very ambitious and keen to show off our football.”
This will be Costa Rica's third successive appearance at the World Cup after they beat New Zealand in their final qualifier. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals in 2014 and in the group stage in 2018.
They have been clubbed in Group E alongside Spain, Germany and Japan.
