Andrés Iniesta, the second bald divine, retires at 40 – Libération

2024-10-08 15:43:24

The legend of Barça and the Spanish football club announced on Tuesday 8 October that he will hang up his boots, with the aim of becoming a manager soon.

A sad day for football. Alone, on a stage, in front of an audience of journalists, Andrés Iniesta made his retirement from professional football official on Tuesday 8 October. “The lawn is finished“, he said with emotion. The silky Spanish midfielder, now forty years old, recounted the thread of his rich career accompanied by videos of his former coaches or relatives broadcast on a screen above him. He had already published the day before ON (ex-Twitter) a summary of his life as a footballer.

The FC Barcelona legend spent sixteen years in Catalonia, playing 674 matches and scoring 57 goals. With the Blaugrana shirt, Andrés Iniesta won 32 trophies, including four Champions Leagues and nine Spanish Championships. At the same time, “Don Andrés” established himself as the key player in the victories of the Spanish selection (131 appearances), winning Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 in quick succession. It was he who gave Spain its first world title thanks to a goal in the final against the Netherlands.

After years of glory in Spain, where the environment formed with Busquets and After five seasons there, the man with 130 international caps joined the Emirates Club in the United Arab Emirates for a final one-year spell.

Coaching diploma

Andrés Iniesta, however, will not walk away from football, as he has announced his intention to become a manager. “This is my life and will continue to be my life. Now I have to continue training, I’m getting my coaching diploma and this is the next step“, he said.

The newly retired man had already started preparing for the rest of his life, including setting up his own vineyard and his own football academy, with the long-stated aim of one day becoming manager of his (almost) ever club .