“I would Like To Return To Barcelona At Some Point In My Life"

Written by Olaleye Oluwadamilola

Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta has expressed his intention to pursue a coaching career, with a particular goal of returning to Barcelona in that role following his retirement.

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Andrés Iniesta has announced his retirement from professional football. The 40-year-old midfielder will end his career with an impressive collection of 35 trophies, 29 of which were won during his time at Barcelona.

The Spaniard confirmed the news at a media event in Barcelona, revealing how happy he is to look back at the journey, not expecting a tearful day where he will bade the beautiful game goodbye as he reiterates on his next plan post retirement.

“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”, he said.

“I’m already starting with the coaching course. I want to train in this next stage in that way. Those of you who know me know that I’m quite stubborn in that sense. I’ll try to do a great job again”.

“I would like to return to Barcelona at some point in my life. The moment I can feel that I should be there and if the circumstances arise, I would be delighted. If I’m a coach, the profile will be the Iniesta profile”.

“I hope that (Hansi Flick) can be here for many years – it would be a great sign for our club, which is that things are working very well. I have no doubt that the work he is doing and will do will be fantastic. Those of us who are outside just have to support. I haven’t even been to the first class of the coaching course yet, but the intention is to be able to have it.”

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Iniesta’s technical skill was instrumental in Spain’s success. He made 131 appearances for the national team, scoring the winning goal in extra time of the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands.

This victory marked Spain’s first-ever World Cup title. Iniesta also played a key role in Spain’s Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 victories, ending a 44-year drought and earning the title of player of the tournament in 2012.

Fuentealbilla born, he enjoyed a highly successful 22-year career as a midfielder for Barcelona and Spain, playing pivotal role in both teams’ dominance during the late 2000s and early 2010s, winning numerous trophies.

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