Iniesta, regarded as one of football’s greatest midfielders, has been without a club since his contract with UAE’s Emirates Club expired in June. While he previously expressed a desire to keep playing and explore coaching, Iniesta recently hinted at his decision to retire in an Instagram post.
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His illustrious journey began with Barcelona’s B team in 2000, eventually leading to over 400 appearances for the first team. During his time at Camp Nou, Iniesta won 29 trophies, playing a pivotal role in Pep Guardiola’s side, often hailed as one of the best teams in history. His trophy cabinet includes nine La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League victories.
Iniesta’s most iconic moment came in 2010, when he scored the winning goal in the World Cup final, helping Spain lift their first-ever title. He also played a key role in Spain’s back-to-back European Championship victories in 2008 and 2012.
After departing Barcelona in 2018, Iniesta played for Japan’s Vissel Kobe before moving to the UAE for his final playing stint. In his 2016 memoir, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola fondly recalled his first encounter with a young Iniesta at Barcelona.
“Tito Vilanova defined him very well,” Guardiola recalled. “Tito used to say: ‘Andres doesn’t run, he glides. He’s likean ice hockey player, only without skates on. Sssswishhh, sssswishhh, sssswishhhh …’ That description is evocative, very graphic, and I think it’s an accurate one.
“He moves as if he was skating, observing everything that’s happening around him.
“Then, suddenly, he changes direction with that smoothness he possesses. Yes, that’s it, Andres doesn’t run, he glides.
“Sometimes in life, it’s the first impressions that count and my initial impression of Andres was when my brother Pere, who was working for Nike then, introduced me to Iniesta.
“I was still playing for Barcelona myself and he said: ‘Pep, you’ve got to come and see this lad’.
“It was before the final of the Nike Cup. I remember hastily changing after training and rushing there, sprinting to the stadium.
“And yes, I saw how talented he was. I told myself: ‘This lad will play for Barcelona, for sure … he’s going to make it’.
“I told myself that, and I told Pere that too.”
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