Who is Luis Enrique married to? Meet the PSG coach’s wife Elena Cullell
The couple have been together for almost 30 years and had three children together. Private and discreet, Elena prefers to remain out of the media spotlight.
Luis Enrique and Elena Cullell have been together for over three decades - a relationship that began in Barcelona and has remained remarkably private ever since.
The couple married in December 1997 at Santa María del Mar, the iconic Gothic church in Barcelona’s Born district, little over a year after Luis Enrique left Real Madrid to join Barcelona.
Elena, who would become one of the most discreet “first ladies” in Barça history, met him shortly after his transfer from Real Madrid. From that moment on, they’ve been inseparable, building a quiet, tightly knit family life together with their children.
Elena Cullell: The woman who chooses to stay out of the media glare
Elena comes from a well‑established Catalan family from the Baix Llobregat area. Her father, Francesc Cullell, worked in the leather‑goods industry, and her mother, Isabel Falguera, also comes from a prominent local lineage.
She studied at the prestigious Lycée Français Bon Soleil in Gavà, spent time in the United States improving her English, and earned a degree in Economics in Barcelona — though she never pursued the profession. When she met Luis Enrique, she was 25 years old and working as a gro und hostess at El Prat airport.
Their romance moved quickly. During the 1997 Christmas holidays, they married in front of 200 guests, sealing a partnership that has remained solid and intentionally low‑profile.
The Martínez‑Cullell family: a life built on stability
As far as Luis Enrique is concerned, his family is his greatest achievement. Away from cameras and headlines, he and Elena have built a grounded, sports‑centered home life.
When he began his coaching career in 2008 with Barcelona B, Elena supported him through every step — including the difficult year he spent managing AS Roma in 2011–12, a period she reportedly found especially challenging.
Stability returned when he joined Celta Vigo, splitting his time between the north west coast and Barcelona. But the turning point came on May 19, 2014, when he accepted the Barcelona job — a decision heavily influenced by Elena’s desire to have him back home full‑time.
“I’ve left my wife and kids in Barcelona, and it’s very hard for me to live far from my family. That weighed heavily in my decision,” he said at the time.
Their family home is in Gavà: an 841‑square‑meter (about 9,050‑square‑foot) property with a pool and a padel court. Luis Enrique is passionate about running and cycling, while Elena often plays padel or joins him on long walks.
Their children
Despite being fiercely protective of his private life, Luis Enrique has occasionally shared glimpses of family moments. The couple had three children together: Pacho, Sira and Xana.
Sadly, Xana, the youngest, passed away in August 2019 at the age of nine after battling osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer for five months. Her father admitted that he was “very fortunate that they shared nine wonderful, years with Xana. We have thousands of memories of her, videos, incredible moments...”
In November 2023 Xana’s parents set up the Xana Foundation, which supports children and adolescents suffering from serious illnesses in vulnerable situations, along with their families. Earlier this year, the first Xana Charity Golf Tournament was held in Madrid.
A coach with a distinct personality
Often described as a very “direct and transparent” coach, Luis Enrique can sometimes come across a being very blunt or uncooperative with some members of the media. He is certainly quick to respond and will not mince his words if he feels he is being asked an irrelevant or invasive question.
As a player, he won every domestic title with Real Madrid before switching to Barcelona where he won two LaLiga and Copa del Rey titles along with the European Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
He was capped 62 times with Spain, scoring 12 goals and won Olympic gold at the Barcelona Games.
Lucho never won the Champions League as a player - something he put right during his coaching career. He guided both Barça and PSG to become champions of Europe, and hopes to repeat the feat again this year. Bayern Munich stand in the way.
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