Andrés Iniesta — The Magician Who Exhilarated Football Fans For More Than A Decade And Half
In the history of this beautiful game there hasn’t been something quite like Andrés Iniesta. I started watching football because of Leo Messi and in the first place I thought Leo is the most naturally gifted player then I went on to watch this diminutive genius and my word, the way he gliding his way through defenders so effortlessly that it could literally send chips down one’s spine. Yes, he’s that good and the best naturally gifted player I have seen in my life. He joined FC Barcelona back in 1996 as a kid and after 22 years he bids adieu with 32 titles.
In 2002 he played his first professional game for the club and football’s one of the greatest love affairs began, Andrés Iniesta and FC Barcelona. He was not extraordinary in the beginning, he was in the making. He won his first CL title in 2006 vs Arsenal. He was still evolving as a player and improving himself during the days of Frank Rijkkaard as manager. Pep arrived in 2008 as manager with John Cruyff’s philosophy which helped Iniesta in unleashing his true abilities. Nobody can forget that strike at Stramford Bridge which saw Chelsea fans covering their eyes in horror, that was the moment he really exploded himself in front of entire world. In my opinion that goal was the most important in Barça’s history. A goal which helped Barça to seal club’s first treble and then historical sextuple something that no other team has ever achieved in game’s history. That goal was just beginning of the football’s most dominant period led by Pep Gaurdiola who won 13 titles in his 4 years of tenure at the club. Iniesta was one of the most important pillars of the football temple of 21st century, FC Barcelona, which was built by Pep and his team which is still regarded as the greatest club team in history.
He became rockstar of football after club’s great success in 2009 but yet the greatest moment of Iniesta’s career was yet to come. 2010, South Africa when he won Spain it’s first and only World Cup in 116th minutes in the final against Netherlands with one swung of his right leg and Spain owed him debt that can’t be repaid. Then on he never looked back. He was again proved fateful in Spain’s second successive Euro triumph in 2012. Throughout his career the biggest strength of him was he always have risen up in the big moments be it club level or international.
Pep left in 2012, Tito, Pep’s successor, passed away in 2014, Tata Martino’s ugly spell at the club, Xavi’s days was numbered and Spain crashed out early at world cup in Brazil could be the last nail in the coffin as Iniesta suffering from failures with Club and country. Start of the 2014–15 season, Luis Enrique appointed new manager, Luis Suarez arrived at the club. There were rumors of spat between manager and senior players in the beginning and people started writing Barca off. Suddenly team got it’s mojo back, MSN were tearing apart opponents where Iniesta was back to his best controlling team’s tempo with Busi and newly signed Rakitic. Barca sealed domestic double and were looking to complete second treble in CL final vs Juventus in Berlin. Iniesta stood out once again in the final as he was choosen Man of the match in CL final, again. Iniesta and Barça said goodbye to Xavi by the end of the season in style. Xavi-Iniesta the midfield duo of last 15 years came to an end. Iniesta was keep winning titles after Xavi’s departure as he won domestic double in 2016, Cup in 2017 and again domestic double this year. Iniesta’s career really is nothing short of an extraordinary one with 35 titles for club and country.
Last night he said goodbye to Barcelona and European football at the age of 34. He left Barca on top of his game, he easily could have stayed for a season or two but he just want to leave on high and he did it like Xavi and Puyol. Everyone was in tears last night, billions around the world who were watching him leaving the pitch for the last time including me. 90000 people in Camp Nou were saying thank you as he passed captain’s armband to Leo Messi like he was passing a torch and responsibility to take this club to new heights that haven’t been reached before. So many tears in the stadium that it could really sink the city of Catalunya and that shows what Iniesta means to Barça and it’s fans.
Talking about him as human being i haven’t seen anyone as humbled, down to earth, polite as him. Period. He is the only player in history who have got the standing ovation in every damm stadium he played in even at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu in 2016 after he humiliated them with 4–0. This demonstrates perfectly how good he is as human and if i become even 1/4 of human being as him I would be proud of myself. Once Sergio Ramos said and this is the only thing i have ever been agreed on with Madrid player that Iniesta is a boyfriend every mother wants her daughter to have. This guy is step ahead in every imaginable thing to anybody on the planet and that’s why we are madly in love with this baldly genius and will always be for the rest of our lives. His legacy will always remain very close to the heart of every person who ever fell in love with this beautiful game. And as Barça fan I must say he was, he is and he will always be a cule. Thank you, Andrés. Gracias!
