Luis Enrique has paid the price for Spain's surprise World Cup departure at the hands of Morocco with his job.
The 2010 winners were odds-on favourites to set up an Iberian quarterfinal against neighbours Portugal, but after being held to a goalless draw after extra time by their North African opponents in the round of 16, Spain missed all of their penalties as they were brutally eliminated on spot-kicks.
The result sent shockwaves through the tournament, and now former Barcelona boss Enrique has been relived off his duties as a consequence.
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ESPN journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray Tweeted: Official: @rfef confirms the departure of Luis Enrique, who is out as #ESP manager. “The RFEF would like to thank Luis Enrique - and his coaching staff - for being in charge of the national team over the last few years.”
The news of Enrique's dismissal will not have gone unnoticed by Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara. The 31-year-old was a surprising omission from the Spain squad that travelled to Qatar, despite being one of his country's most decorated players a having 46 caps for the national team.
Thiago's form for Liverpool was not enough to convince Enrique of his inclusion - with the now ex-coach also leaving out Spanish defensive stalwart Sergio Ramos.
But thanks to Morocco, Enrique will now have plenty of time to dwell on whether he made the right calls, while Thiago himself looks to resurrect his international career ahead of the European Championships in 2024.
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