Andrés Iniesta announces retirement

All good things come to an end, and sadly that means Andrés Iniesta too, who this Tuesday officially announced that he is bringing an end to his glorious career as a professional footbalerl. It was a simple, moving and sincere event during which he looked back at all the different stages of his life, which will always be most especially remembered for his time at FC Barcelona.

Over half a life at Barça

Now 40, Iniesta spent 22 years of his life at Barça, six as a youth player and 16 in the first team. "The trip from Fuentealbilla to Barcelona was a life-changer" he said. "La Masia changed me forever. It was the best place to be to learn the values that have guided me through life. I am grateful to everyone, the teachers, my team-mates... that time impacted my whole life."

Tears of pride

He was speaking from the America's Cup Experience beside Barcelona port. There could be no more fitting venue than the Catalan capital for his farewell words. He described his life a fairytale, one that began in his home town of Fuentealbilla, then Albacete and then a long and magical time in Barcelona. There were tears in his eyes, which he explained as "tears of emotion and pride, not sadness. They are the tears of a little boy who always wanted to be a footballer, and who made it happen."

Loved at the club

That boy would grow into a man, and then a father, and also one of the greatest players ever to grace the blaugrana jersey. Naturally, the club came out in force to attend today's event. President Joan Laporta was there, as was first team coach Hansi Flick, and such players as Araujo, Gavi, Ansu Fati and Dani Olmo, as well as officials like Deco, Bojan Krkic and Enric Masip.

A number of videos were screened during the event, showing the many highlights of Iniesta's career, and with messages from such important figures in his life as Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Vicente del Bosque and Louis van Gaal. It was under the latter that he made his debut. Recalling that moment, he said "I was shaking all over those first few days. I didn't know what to do with myself. So many days eyeing the Camp Nou from La Masia and to finally get the chance to be there with all those players was spectacular."

“We really enjoyed it”  

After making his debut and settling in then came the best Barça in history with Iniesta as one of the key figures The midfielder has special memories of that time: “We really enjoyed it. Not just playing but training too...it was magical, unique. Seeing how we made the fans happy, waiting for the next game to see us play, that is a symbol of everything for me.”  

The importance of family  

Iniesta left Barça in 2028 as a club legend after “taking the most difficult decision of my life.” However, he went on to explain just how important his five years in Japan and then a year in the UAE were, above all for his family. The former blaugrana made it clear the importance of those closest to him during his career – his parents and grandfather who made the journey from Fuentealbilla to Barcelona with him, and his sister, wife and six children.  

The next step, coaching?  

Iniesta also revealed that after enjoying his career as a player, the fans might get the chance to do so again with him in a coaching role. The blaugrana legend explained that he is still learning, gaining experience and making mistakes with the aim of continuing to enjoy the game of football from the dugout

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