Real Madrid's “admiration and affection”, a “phenomenon” for Lionel Messi: one of Barça's greatest players retires

Iniesta (tout à droite) va définitivement raccrocher les crampons. EFE – ALEJANDRO GARCIA

Andrés Iniesta, légende du Barça et de la sélection espagnole de football, avec laquelle il a remporté une Coupe du monde et deux Euros, a annoncé mardi 8 octobre à Barcelone prendre sa retraite à 40 ans, après une dernière expérience professionnelle aux Emirats arabes unis.

“Being on the pitch is over”, said the midfielder Andrés Iniesta, visibly moved, after having spoken at length about his entire career to the press, during an event organized in Barcelona. “I can't stay away from football, it's my life and it will continue to be my life. Now I have to continue training, I am getting my coaching diploma and that is the next step", he continued.

"I will try to come back to do a great job, but it will not be running after the ball, but from another place".Andrés Iniesta played sixteen years in the first team of Barça, his training club, five at Vissel Kobe in Japan, before a final one-year stint at the Emirates Club, in the United Arab Emirates.

Trained at La Masia, the nursery of FC Barcelona, ​​he is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the Catalan club, symbolizing, with Xavi and Lionel Messi, the domination of Barça's collective play at European level between 2008 and 2015.

Scorer in the 2010 World Cup final

He made 674 appearances for the Blaugrana and won 32 trophies, including four Champions Leagues and nine Spanish Championships, while establishing himself as a key player in the Spanish national team's successes (130 caps in total) during the same period, lifting Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 in quick succession.

Already a respected figure in world football, Iniesta, who became a Catalan by adoption but was born near Albacete (Castilla-La Mancha, center), entered the hearts of all Spaniards one evening in July 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa, by offering La Roja its first World Cup with a half-volley in the 116th minute against the Netherlands.

A tribute from Real Madrid, like a symbol

Congratulated and praised by many of his former coaches in videos released Tuesday when he announced his retirement, Iniesta was also praised by his former teammate Messi, who spoke on Instagram of “one of the most magical teammates” with whom he had played, speaking of a “phenomenon”. 

Even Real Madrid, Barcelona's great rival club, paid tribute to him with an official statement: “Real Madrid, its president and its board of directors want to show their recognition, admiration and affection for one of the great legends of Spanish and world football”. Quite a symbol.