BARCELONA (Reuters) -Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta announced his retirement on Tuesday after a glittering trophy-laden career spanning 24 years.
Iniesta, 40, was at the heart of the Spain and Barcelona midfield during a period of sustained success for both teams in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
“Please allow me to be a little emotional today,” a tearful Iniesta, who most recently played for Emirates Club in the United Arab Emirates, told a press conference.
“I never thought this day would come. I never imagined it. Yes, 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 a small town like Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of being a footballer and we achieved it after a lot of hard work, sacrifice… of never giving up, essential values in my life. I feel very proud of this path, with all the people who have accompanied me.”
The technically-gifted Iniesta made 131 appearances for Spain, scoring the only goal of the 2010 World Cup final with a last-gasp strike to earn his country victory over the Netherlands as they lifted the global title for the first time.
He also played a key role in Spain winning the 2008 European Championship to snap a 44-year trophy drought and was named player of the tournament when they successfully defended the title in 2012.
Born in the tiny village of Fuentealbilla, less than an hour’s drive Southeast from capital Madrid, Iniesta joined Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy at 12 years old and made 674 appearances for the Spanish side, captaining them for three seasons.
A year before becoming Spain’s World Cup final hero, Iniesta worked his magic in a Champions League semi-final against Chelsea.
His brilliant shot deep in added time secured Barca a place in the final and they went on to lift the trophy, Pep Guardiola’s first European Cup triumph as a coach.
Iniesta won nine LaLiga titles with Barca, four Champions League titles, six Copa del Rey crowns, two UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups, many of them alongside Xavi Hernandez, a rival for the accolade of being described as the best Spanish footballer of all time.
“One of the most magical teammates and one of those who I most enjoyed playing together, Andres Iniesta, the ball will miss you and so will we! I wish you all the best, you are a phenomenon,” former Barcelona team mate Lionel Messi wrote on social media.
Runner-up for the 2010 Ballon d’Or behind Messi, Iniesta called time on his magnificent spells with Spain and Barcelona in 2018 and moved to Japan to play for Vissel Kobe.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India, and Fernando Kallas in Madrid, Editing by Christian Radnedge and Ed Osmond)
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