Andrés Iniesta published an announcement today on his networks in which one senses what will be official on October 8: that he is retiring from professional football as a player. The La Mancha legend will soon summon all the media for a public event in which, in all likelihood, he will tell the world that, at 40 years old, he is leaving active football.
Spanish football would not be understood without the figure of Andrés Iniesta. The one from Fuentealbilla (Albacete) went down in the history of Spanish football on July 11, 2010 when he scored the goal that gave Spain the first World Cup. of its history in Johannesburg against the Netherlands in the 116th minute.
Iniesta made his professional football debut on October 29, 2002 in a Barça Champions League match. in Bruges (0-1) with Louis Van Gaal on the bench. The man from La Mancha, raised in La Masía, played 16 seasons for Barça until he left for Japanese football.
Iniesta leaves professional football
will do it in Barcelona next Tuesday, in a week, coinciding with the number that has accompanied him almost his entire life and the number of which he made an icon. He also wore that number during his last stage in football in the Arab Emirates, in a club (Emirates FC) where he did not do as well as he would have liked. But it doesn’t matter. His career is so brilliant that there are only smiles. And that’s how he will remember it on the 8th.
In that conference, Iniesta He will also present his future plans, that will surely be linked to football, in addition to other vital projects that he has on a personal level (the winery on his land, for example).
Since leaving the Emirates, There have been several proposals that Andrés has received to continue playing, especially from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but none greater than the excitement that Andrés has about facing his future in the coming months/years, a future that he is passionate about and that he will also announce at the hearing next Tuesday.
Iniesta’s honors
He Andrés’ track record is impressive: 22 national titles with Barça and three with the Japanese Vissel Kobe; At an international level, 10 titles with Barça, including four Champions, in addition to two European Championships in youth with Spain and his great Trilogy: two Euros and a World Cup with La Roja, scoring the goal that made all of us Spaniards happy. That is, 40 titles in total, one of the most winning in all of history and with what football!
Iniesta was also in the fight for the 2010 Ballon d’Or, that in the end despite winning the World Cup in South Africa was won by his teammate, Leo Messi. On that occasion, the podium was made up of Messi (22% of the votes), Iniesta (17%) and Xavi (16%).
