‘La Masia changed me forever’ - Iniesta announces his retirement
A “fairytale” career
An emotional Andres Iniesta has announced he’s retiring from football at a special event on Tuesday which has been attended by many former and current Barcelona stars.
The 40-year-old could not help but shed a few tears as he reflected on an incredible career and all that he achieved on the football field.
“I feel very happy to have achieved my dream. My sporting career has been like a fairy tale because I have experienced the best at a professional level,” he said.
“I never thought this day would come. I never imagined it. All these tears we have shed these days are tears of emotion, of pride. They are not tears of sadness. They are tears of that boy from Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of being a footballer and we achieved it after a lot of work, sacrifice... of never giving up, essential values in my life. I feel very proud of this journey, with all the people who have accompanied me.”
Iniesta, who famously cried when his parents left him at Barcelona when he was just 12, also spoke about how the club changed his life.
“La Masia changed me forever. It is the best place where I could be to enhance the values that must be had in life. And I am grateful to all the people, teachers, teammates... it is a stage that undoubtedly marked our lives,” he added.
“Coming to Barça was a dream, which I focused on to fulfill. That effort, coming to Barcelona at 12 years old with everything that meant, could not divert my focus from what I had. I arrived at the best place to fulfill my dreams that lay ahead.
“Having lived through the best times with our national team would not make sense without having lived through the best times with Barça. Those were the years when we had a great time.
“It wasn’t just about playing: it was about how we did it, how we trained. It was magical and unique. What I take away from that time was what we enjoyed. Not just what we did inside, but also seeing how the people did it, how eager they were to see us play. Being able to be at the club of your life and reach the first team, representing Barça, wearing that shirt, is something unique, something that I will have the best memories of in the world.”
And in true Iniesta style there were some very generous comments about his World Cup-winning goal for Spain that will never be forgotten.
“We all scored that goal at the World Cup. Those people who fought to play that game. Fans and players scored that goal,” he explained.
“I was there to do it, but everyone’s magic made it possible. Dani Jarque’s magic also helped us from wherever he could see us. It was an honour and a privilege to be part of this glorious era for our country.”
Andres Iniesta - what a player.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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