Andrés Iniesta tearfully announces farewell to soccer
Andrés Iniesta tearfully announces his farewell to football
Andrés Iniesta has said goodbye to soccer after a nearly 25-year career. The legendary Spanish midfielder, winner of a World Cup, two European Championships and a major player in Barcelona's golden years, said enough during a press conference in the auditorium of the’America’s Cup Experience at Port Vell in Barcelona.
A farewell in style for the Illusionist, considered one of the best players in soccer history and paid tribute by his former Blaugrana teammates including Piqué, Xavi and Deco, who flocked to applaud him. "I never thought this day would come", he said through tears.
"I never imagined it. Yes, all these tears that we shed in these days, they are of emotion, of pride. They are not tears of sadness. They are tears of that child from Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of becoming a soccer player and we succeeded after so much work, sacrifice … of never giving up, essential values in my life. I am very proud of this road, with all the people who have accompanied me".
Iniesta è arrived in Barcelona at the age of 12 in 1996, and made his first-team debut in 2002. With the Catalans he won everything more than once, including nine Spanish championships and four Champions Leagues. With the national team, the highest laurel è was the 2010 World Cup, where he scored the historic goal in the final against Holland. In 2018 he left Barcelona to play in the last years of his career at Vissel Kobe in Japan and in recent months in the United Arab Emirates.
