“They say I went to Emirates for money, but I can prove that's not the case”

At the age of 40, Iniesta is already football history. The player from Fuentealbilla, the most important player in Spanish football, hung up his boots for good on Tuesday, October 8th, at an event in Barcelona, and closed the circle after a 22-year career.

Late in the evening, the man from La Mancha gave an interview to the microphones of 'El Partidazo de COPE' and spoke at length about what he has experienced during his time as a footballer and his future on the bench.

First of all, Iniesta referred to the emotional act in which he announced his farewell without a presenter: “Many people told me when I was alone in front of danger. Being alone was powerful and it was cool. I wouldn't lie to you that when I saw the site, I said 'oops, let's see if someone will give me a hand'. But I had it all in my head and well. I went in crying because the emotional video was...to have those words come out of your mouth is strong, but I've been comfortable and with the feeling of a job well done.”

“I don't want to leave and I wouldn't want to in 10 years either. It has been a process. When I close the stage in Japan and you go to the Emirates, you do it with the idea of being closer to Spain, to get your coaching degree. In summer there are moments when you doubt whether to continue or not and that had never happened to me before. When I left Japan I wanted to continue, but now you saw more problems than simple things”, said the Fuentealbilla about the beginning of his doubts.

Regarding whether he ever thought about playing for Albacete, Iniesta was very clear: “There are two clubs in my life that are everything, Barcelona and Albacete. It's very nice and romantic, but it's not because it's not a reality. I'm not going to Albacete to retire because it's not true, it's professional. They are two teams that I love more than anything and I have never liked being there for the sake of being there. Going to Albacete to finish my career like that, well, no, because I would feel that I am there because I have to be there. You hear comments and they don't make sense. They say that I went to the Emirates for money, but I can prove that it's not so”.

At 34, the 34-year-old from Fuentealbilla left Barca after winning 32 titles in 17 seasons and explained why he did not stay: “I felt that it was time to leave and that the Andres Iniesta that was to come, in my opinion, would not be able to give what he had always given to the club. I'm happy to leave the way I left. I always had it in my head. I'm leaving with the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla and that memory is the best thing I can hear in my head, it's a dream fulfilled. To leave in any other way would have been difficult to accept, after what I had lived through”.

 

October 8, 2024