The legend Andres Iniesta has decided to retire from professional football. He will announce it on 8th October, as per Relevo. Barcelona and Spain legend Andres Iniesta will retire from the game at the age of 40. The veteran midfielder has been a free agent for several months after leaving his latest club Emirates FC Club, and has decided to draw his career to an end.
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The iconic midfielder has most recently been plying his trade in the UAE with Emirates Club. He spent five years in Japan with Vissel Kobe prior to that, having walked away from a memorable spell at Camp Nou in 2018.
Iniesta – who stepped out of Barca’s famed La Masia academy system alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Sergio Busquets – took in 674 appearances for the Blaugrana. He helped them to nine La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.
Iniesta is one of if not the most beloved of Spain’s footballers, having scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, the only goal of the game, four minutes from the end of extra time to secure a first ever World title for La Roja. He was also key in their victories at Euro 2008 and 2012.
Not many Barcelona players have either the medals nor the affection possessed by Iniesta either. Moving to the club as a child from Albacete in the South of Spain, he came through the La Masia system, and became a first-team regular in his mid-twenties. From the arrival of Pep Guardiola onwards, he became era-defining.
Instead, Iniesta is focused on working his way into coaching. He has never shied away from the fact that he would like to see his career path lead back to Catalunya. Iniesta has previously stated: “Obviously I would like to return to Barca at some point in my life, because that’s how I feel, but I don’t know when or how to say now, nor does anyone else. We’ll see how things go during this time and then we’ll see where we are.”
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