History Of Andrés Iniesta

Andrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan]; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Barcelona and the Spain national team. He serves as the captain for Barcelona.

Iniesta came through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early emigration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regularly during the 2004–05 season and has remained in the team ever since. Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015, and his 33 trophies make him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time.[3]

Iniesta played for Spain at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels before making his international debut in 2006. He helped Spain win Euro 2008, playing every game and being selected in the Team of the Tournament. Iniesta was also a key member of the victorious Spanish team at the 2010 World Cup; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, for which he was named the Man of the Match, and was selected to the tournament’s All-Star Team. At Euro 2012, Iniesta led Spain to their second consecutive continental crown, again being chosen as the Man of the Match of the final against Italy, and was named the Player of the Tournament.

Iniesta is widely considered to be one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest midfielders of all time.[4][5][6][7] Since 2009, he has been chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year six times and has been voted into the FIFA World XI on nine occasions. Iniesta won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2012 and was named the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker in 2012 and 2013. He was runner-up to Lionel Messi for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d’Or and achieved third place in 2012.

Iniesta comes from Fuentealbilla, a small village in the province of Albacete, Castile–La Mancha, Spain. At the age of 12, while playing for Albacete Balompié in a junior seven-a-side tournament in Albacete, he attracted the attention of scouts from clubs around Spain.[8] His parents knew Barcelona’s youth team coach, Enrique Orizaola, and he persuaded them to consider sending Iniesta to the Barcelona youth academy. Iniesta traveled there with his parents and visited La Masia, the farmhouse where the club houses its young players; the trip convinced them to enroll Iniesta in the Barcelona youth ranks.[9]
“Receive, pass, offer, receive, pass, offer.”
— Iniesta on La Masia education of ball retention, passing and using space[10]

Iniesta says he “cried rivers” the day he left for La Masia and struggled being separated from his parents;[11] he was very shy and kept to himself while there.[12] He captained the Barcelona Under-15 team to victory in the Nike Premier Cup of 1999, scoring the winning goal in the last minute of the final, and was named player of the tournament. Just after Iniesta arrived at the club, then-captain Pep Guardiola famously told fellow midfielder Xavi: “You’re going to retire me. This lad [Iniesta] is going to retire us all.

Like fellow La Masia graduate Cesc Fàbregas, Iniesta originally started as a defensive midfielder,[72] but his balance, ball control and agility allied with his skill on the ball saw him make progress as an attacking midfielder. Beyond his raw talent that was spotted at a young age by Barcelona’s scouts, it was his great versatility, work ethic and inventiveness that allowed him to stake a claim on a first-team place at the age of 18.[73] Vicente del Bosque described him as “the complete footballer. He can attack and defend, he creates and scores,” and Frank Rijkaard said, “I played him as a false winger, central midfielder, deep midfielder and just behind the striker and he was always excellent.”[11] He was used initially as a wide-forward in the absence of Juan Román Riquelme and Ronaldinho by Louis van Gaal and Rijkaard respectively, but made his name as a world-class player in central midfield alongside or in lieu of Xavi, at both club and international level. As FIFA.com says, “It is in this position that his direct style and quick feet can be used to full effect, with the ball seeming glued to his toes as he races into threatening positions. Iniesta is a player known for his passing, dribbling, vision and movement.”[74]
“The one who plays this game the best is Iniesta: he knows exactly when to go forward and when to drop back. He picks the right moment to do everything: when to dribble, when to speed things up and when to slow things down. And I think that’s the only thing that can’t be taught or bought. You can learn how to shoot and how to control the ball, but being aware of everything that’s happening out on the pitch — that’s something you’re either born with or you’re not.”
Former Argentina playmaker Juan Román Riquelme on Iniesta[75]
Iniesta during the UEFA Euro 2012 Final.

Much like other Barcelona youth products such as Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Iván de la Peña, Iniesta is a playmaker who relies on exceptional creative passing, intuition and inventiveness to control the midfield and dictate the ebb and flow of play.[76] Iniesta has been praised for his understanding and interplay with Xavi; former Barcelona teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst said of the pair, “They have a special relationship, they always have, they just seem to know where the other one is.”[77] During his maturation as a player, he has gained a reputation for playing a part in important goals for club and country, specifically playing a leading role in the 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015 UEFA Champions League finals, as well as the 2010 World Cup Final, Euro 2012 final and Euro 2008 semi-final.[73]

His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch has earned him the sobriquet El Ilusionista (The Illusionist), El Cerebro (The Brain), El Anti-Galáctico (a pun on Real Madrid players’ nickname Los Galácticos), El Caballero Pálido (The Pale Knight)[78] and most recently Don Andrés from the Spanish press. Zinedine Zidane also praised Iniesta, stating on the Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, “Iniesta really impresses me. He’s got so much influence in Spain’s game. He reminds me of myself.” Fernando Torres, Spain’s striker, said, “We’ve been playing together since we were 15 and I have never, ever seen him play badly.”[79] He is widely regarded as one of the most respected and best midfielders of all time.