Andres Iniesta‘s decision to leave Barcelona brings to a close one of the great careers in European club football history.
The veteran midfielder may not yet be hanging up his boots for good, as reports circulate about a potential move to the Far East, but the European game will be poorer without him.
Alongside Lionel Messi, Iniesta, now 33, has been the heart and soul of Barcelona’s outstanding side of the last generation.
A technically gifted midfielder who is equally strong on either foot, Iniesta has ravaged defences with instinctive, pinpoint passes and nimble footwork throughout his career.
He has done this at the highest level, helping Barcelona claim a wealth of trophies since breaking into the first team in 2002. He is set to leave the Nou Camp with 32 major club honours to his name.
Thirty-one of these are already secure, including eight LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues. The 32nd, a ninth LaLiga crown, seems set to be delivered imminently.
Iniesta is one of the greatest graduates of Barcelona’s famed youth system. He joined the club at the age of 12 in 1996 and progressed through the ranks, including the Barcelona B team, before breaking into the first team.
Thank you forever @andresiniesta8#Infinit8Iniesta pic.twitter.com/xAJXJklKsT
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 27, 2018
Such was his versatility he initially made an impression as a defender but his talents soon demanded he was pushed further up the field.
He featured prominently in the 2004-05 title-winning campaign but it was the following season he truly came of age at elite level.
With Xavi injured, Iniesta ran the Barca midfield as they won the Champions League for only the second time in the club’s history.
When Xavi returned, the pair went on to form one of the great midfield partnerships, feeding the awesome Messi, as Barca took the game to new levels under Pep Guardiola. Further Champions League successes followed in 2009, 2011 and, with Luis Enrique in charge, in 2015.
Anyone who saw last weekend’s Copa del Rey final, when a 33-year-old Iniesta rolled back the years with a typically masterful display in a 5-0 thrashing of Sevilla, may wonder why he wants to move on now.
Yet the news had been expected for some time and no one could deny he has earned the right to bow out on his own terms.
His time on the highest stage is not yet over, though. He has also shone on the international stage and the prospect remains of a glorious swansong with Spain at this summer’s World Cup, having been the goalscoring hero in the 2010 final in the win over Holland.
Iniesta=Football
Iniesta=Eternal
Iniesta=InfiniteWe will miss you, @andresiniesta8! 😍#Infinit8Iniesta pic.twitter.com/leNwufxVJ5
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) April 27, 2018
Provided by Press Association Sport
