Andres Iniesta announces retirement from professional football; Enrique, Guardiola and others pay tribute – Firstpost
Iniesta began his senior professional football career with FC Barcelona in 2002. He played 442 matches for the Spanish giants, scoring 35 goals, and more importantly having won multiple trophies, including nine La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies.
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On Monday, Legendary Spain and FC Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta announced his retirement from professional football, ending a glorious 24-year playing career. Iniesta, 40, shared a video on “X” which he captioned: “El Juego Continua (The game will go on”).
In the video, Iniesta was asked what football meant to him. While he was almost left speechless, a few others, like former Spain manager Luis Enrique and ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, can be seen congratulating the veteran on a successful career.
El Juego Continúa ❤️⚽️ 8️⃣🔟2️⃣4️⃣ pic.twitter.com/YLrDOfxVCB
— Andrés Iniesta (@andresiniesta8) October 7, 2024
“To me, he represents the feeling we had as kids, playing football in the streets until our mothers called us in when it was too dark to see the ball. That’s Andrés Iniesta, who, at 40, still wonders whether to keep playing,” said Luis Enrique, who played with Iniesta at Barcelona.
Pep Guardiola recalled a crucial moment during Iniesta’s career at Barcelona. “We had one point out of six, almost in the relegation zone, and Andrés told me, ‘We’re on the right track, people are happy, and things will turn around.’ It gave me the energy I needed to keep going, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Vincente del Bosque, former Spain boss, reminisced how Iniesta was always admired by fans. “I remember Barcelona winning away at Espanyol, something like 4-1 or 5-1, and Iniesta left the pitch to a standing ovation. I think that perfectly sums up how much people love him.”
Luis van Gaal, who gave Iniesta his maiden Barcelona first-team debut at age 18 in 2002, recalled his unique characteristics. “He wasn’t physically imposing, always slim, but football was always in his head,” he said.
Jose Antonio Iniesta, Andres’ father, had an emotional message for his son. “I don’t think Andrés can ever truly leave football,” he said.
Andres Iniesta’s footballing career
Iniesta began his senior professional football career with FC Barcelona in 2002. He played 442 matches for the Spanish giants, scoring 35 goals, and more importantly having won multiple trophies, including nine La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies.
With Spain, he won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 apart from also winning the European Championships in 2008 and 2012. At the junior level, Iniesta has won Euro U16 championships and Euro U19 championships with Spain.
After ending his Barcelona career in 2018, he joined Japanese club Vissel Kobe. Iniesta won the Emperor’s Cup, Japanese Super Cup, and the J1 League with Vissel Kobe.
