reached to allow either side to terminate it early.

BARCELONA, Spain -- Former Barcelona player Luis Enrique promised a new start for the Catalan club after signing a two-year contract to become coach on Wednesday. Luis Enrique signed the deal with club president Josep Bartomeu two days after it was announced by the club. That was two days after coach Gerardo Martino stepped down when Barcelona finished its first season without a major trophy in six years. "We believe that this is the beginning of a new Barcelona, a Barcelona that will excite again," Luis Enrique said. "When I left Barca the club told me that it was a see you later and they have kept their word. I cant wait to hear the hymn of Barcelona in the Camp Nou." The 44-year-old Luis Enrique won two league titles as a Barcelona player from 1996-2004 and coached its B team from 2008-11. He also coached at Roma, and led Celta Vigo to a respectable ninth-place finish this season after installing an attractive passing attack on the Barcelona model. Luis Enriques hiring continues a recent tradition of in-house coaches recently represented in Pep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova. That string was broken when Martino was hastily brought in last year after Vilanova resigned to focus on his battle with throat cancer that he eventually lost last month. Luis Enrique is the clubs eighth former captain to coach the club, joining such greats as Laszlo Kubala, Cesar Rodriguez, Johan Cruyff and Guardiola. Although Luis Enrique was never in the same class as them, he will be only the second former captain to coach the clubs B side and first team. Guardiola is the other. Luis Enrique asked not to be compared with Guardiola, and said his best quality as a coach was being a leader, not as an expert in tactics, despite his insider knowledge of Barcelonas ball-control approach. "I dont rely too heavily on tactical knowhow, instead I focus on managing a group, managing egos," he said. "There is work that goes on during the week, work based on knowing each player. I try to be everything a leader is." Luis Enriques immediate goal is to work with sports director Andoni Zubizarreta and rebuild a squad that has experienced a slow slide over the past two years. "He is a coach that knows our way of playing, our philosophy. We believe that we have put the squad that we are going to build for next season in good hands," said Zubizarreta, who also recalled that Enrique had "put a goal or two" past the former Barcelona goalkeeper when Enrique played for Real Madrid. Under Luis Enrique, Barcelona will be expected to bring in reinforcements to help Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar. And he wont be measured -- at least not immediately -- against Guardiola, who won an unprecedented six titles in his first season and 14 of a possible 19 in four years. Luis Enrique acknowledged his other challenge is helping Messi rediscover the competitive spirit that the clubs all-time leading scorer appeared to lack during some matches after recovering from nagging muscle injuries last season. "I am thrilled to have the best player in the world on my team," Enrique said. "Its obvious that Messis output this season wasnt as incredible as in past years ... I hope that with me he can find his best version, but not only him, also Iniesta and Neymar and the rest." Luis Enrique can draw on links with three generations of players, having played alongside veteran Xavi Hernandez, coached former B team player Sergio Busquets, and taken rising talent Rafina Alcantara from Barcelona to Celta on loan and now back. Luis Enrique is one of the few players to have enjoyed successful stints at both Barcelona and Madrid. He occupies a special place among Barcelonas faithful as the one recent player to have left Madrid for Barcelona, in contrast to a group of former stars who left for the Spanish capital, including Luis Figo, Bernd Schuster and Michael Laudrup. Fake Football Jerseys Online . JOHNS, N. Fake Football Jerseys From China . The Rainbow FlickNext up is the Rainbow Flick, or as you probably know it, the trick that everybody at soccer camp thought they knew how to do. https://www.fakefootballjerseys.com/ . And once again, Team Homan emerged as the victor with the reigning national champions defeating Team Sweeting at the Pintys All-Star Curling Skins Game Friday night in the tournaments opening draw at The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in beautiful Banff National Park. Wholesale Football Jerseys . The Philadelphia Eagles acquired running back Darren Sproles from the New Orleans Saints for a fifth-round draft pick on Tuesday. Fake Football Jerseys For Sale . Stevenson scored the first three goals of the game in the first period for Regina (35-22-6), which has won eight of its last 10 games. Patrick DAmico added two for the Pats, Braden Christoffer had a single and Morgan Klimchuk chipped in a goal and four assists.NEW YORK -- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday he has "no expectation" that players will opt out of the collective bargaining agreement in 2017, potentially leading to another lockout. The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. But Silver told a gathering of Associated Press Sports Editors that it was too soon to consider that. "Well always be prepared, but I have no expectation that theyre going to opt out. I mean, we havent had any discussions whatsoever about that possibility," Silver said. "I think its premature, frankly, for either side to be making determinations about how well this deal has or hasnt worked, and I think especially given that their leader hasnt even been installed yet, which is something that they of course are freely acknowledging. So I dont really buy into sort of that speculation that theyre already planning to opt out or that were thinking about it." The 2011 deal cut the players guarantee of basketball revenues from 57 per cent to 50, saving owners hundreds of millions in salary costs. They have seen the benefiit, with sales of franchises soaring, though Silver said there are still eight teams that arent profitable.dddddddddddd. The league sought a 10-year deal, much longer than players wanted, so the compromise was reached to allow either side to terminate it early. "Our leagues recently reported economic successes come as no surprise to the players," NBPA acting executive director Ron Klempner said in an email. "That being said, we negotiated for the right to opt out of the CBA, and just as the owners will do, the players will consider our options at the appropriate time. Its way too early to commit to any decision one way or the other." The players are still seeking a replacement for former executive director Billy Hunter, who was ousted last February. They said recently they expect to hire one by the start of next season. Meanwhile, owners met in New York last week and got an update on the CBA through what could be its midway point. "We presented sort of the facts as we know them so far under this agreement," Silver said. "Is it working in ways we predicted, here are things that we would not have predicted under the agreement, heres the amount of free agency movement were seeing, heres how its working economically for the league. And I would assume the union at some point will do those same things." ' ' '