He has long resisted the passing of years, but can no longer continue. Or perhaps he simply won’t. In any case, Andrés Iniesta has decided to conclude his illustrious playing career at the age of 41.According to Spanish outlet Relevo, the Barcelona legend has already made the decision to retire and is expected to announce it to the public in a week, on October 8th. Symbolically, as he wore the number ‘8’ for most of his career. The scorer of the most important goal in Spanish football history has been in Dubai with his family, where he trained and stayed in shape in hopes of finding a new club to extend his career a little longer, but in the meantime, he has abandoned that idea.”I feel like I would love to continue playing football, and as long as I don’t feel it’s time to stop, I’ll try to keep playing. I would also like to gain coaching qualifications and see what the future holds,” said the two-time European champion with Spain at a recent event in Barcelona.##NAJAVA_MECA_8380060##Iniesta played his final season for Emirates Club in the UAE, after spending five seasons with Japan’s Vissel Kobe. However, he left the biggest mark at Barcelona, where he grew up and, at one point, conquered European football. That 2009 Barcelona team, which won six trophies in a single season, went down in history as one of the best, and a decade and a half later, one of its indispensable parts is leaving as one of the finest midfielders ever.He honed his skills at La Masia, where he arrived as a 12-year-old, and gave his best years to Barça, for whom he played 674 matches (scoring 57 goals and providing 135 assists) and won everything: four Champions League trophies, three FIFA Club World Cups, nine La Liga titles, three UEFA Super Cups, six Copa del Rey titles, and seven Spanish Super Cups.Solo se te puede decir GRACIAS.Todos recordaremos siempre ese momento.Andrés Iniesta se retira del fútbol profesional.pic.twitter.com/sgk17knZ9Q— GRADA B pro (@GradaBpro) October 1, 2024 He knew only success while wearing the Spain national team jersey, winning the European Championship twice – in 2012, he was named the tournament MVP – and also the World Cup in South Africa. He played 131 matches for La Roja, surpassed only by Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Iker Casillas, and Sergio Ramos, scoring 14 goals. However, the one in extra time of the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands is by far the most valuable, as it brought Spain its first and, to this day, only World Cup trophy.The next step – a return to Barcelona?”Of course, I’d love to return to Barça at some point in my life because that’s how I feel. But neither I nor anyone else could say how or when. We’ll see how things develop over time, and then we’ll see where we stand,” the 40-year-old Spaniard hinted recently.COMING SOON🔜8️⃣🔟2️⃣4️⃣ pic.twitter.com/H0eaSKkTwU— Andrés Iniesta (@andresiniesta8) October 1, 2024
