Andrés Iniesta Luján (
Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan], born 11 May 1984) is a
Spanish footballer who plays as a
central midfielder for
La Liga club
FC Barcelona, and the
Spanish national team.
Andrés Iniesta Luján (
Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan], born 11 May 1984) is a
Spanish footballer who plays as a
central midfielder for
La Liga club
FC Barcelona, and the
Spanish national team.
Iniesta came through
La Masia,
the Barcelona youth academy, and impressed from an early age. He made
his first-team debut in 2002, aged 18. He began playing regularly during
the
2004–05 season,
and has remained in the side ever since. He was an integral part of the
Barcelona side in 2009, the only time which a club has achieved six
titles in two seasons.
Iniesta played for Spain at Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels,
before making his international debut in 2006. He was selected for the
2006 FIFA World Cup, playing one game, as Spain went out in the second round. He helped Spain qualify for
Euro 2008,
and played an important role in the side as they went on to win the
competition, playing every game and being selected in the UEFA Team of
the Tournament. Iniesta was selected for the
2010 FIFA World Cup and was a key member of the victorious Spanish side; he scored the winning goal in the
final against the
Netherlands, also being named
Man of the Match, and was selected in the tournament's
All-Star Team. He was also the
Man of the Match for two other
World Cup games. Following Spain's victory in the
UEFA Euro 2012, Iniesta was selected by the
UEFA panel as Player of the Tournament. He went on to win
UEFA Best Player in Europe Award for the 2011–2012 season.
Early career
Iniesta comes from small village named
Fuentealbilla in the province of
Albacete,
Castile–La Mancha. At the age of 12, while playing for
Albacete Balompié in a junior seven-a-side tournament in
Albacete, he attracted the attention of scouts from many clubs around Spain.
[2] His parents knew the
FC Barcelona youth team coach,
Enrique Orizaola,
and he persuaded them to consider sending Iniesta to the Barcelona
youth academy. Iniesta travelled there with his parents and visited
La Masia,
the Spanish farmhouse where the team house their young players; the
trip convinced them to enroll Iniesta in the Barcelona youth ranks.
[3] Iniesta says he "cried rivers" the day he left for
La Masia and struggled being separated from his parents;
[4] he was very shy and kept to himself while there.
[5]
He captained the Barcelona Under-15 team to victory in the
Nike Premier Cup of 1999, scoring the winning goal in the last minute of the final, and being named player of the tournament.
2004–2008
In the
2004–05
season Iniesta featured in 37 out of 38 league games—more than any
other player—although 25 of these were substitute appearances. He scored
twice as Barcelona won La Liga.
[6] An injury to fellow midfielder
Xavi at the start of the
2005–06 season allowed Iniesta more regular starts in the centre of midfield, and he continued to improve and develop.
[7] He played in 11 Champions League games, including a half-time appearance in the
2006 final to replace
Edmílson.
[8] His contribution to the team was praised by manager
Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona won a league and Champions League double.
[9]
Andrés Iniesta with Barcelona in 2006
The
2006–07
season saw Iniesta's profile continue to rise and earned plaudits for
his willingness to play in any position for his team. On 22 August 2006,
Iniesta lifted the
Joan Gamper Trophy as the captain of the team after defeating German side
Bayern Munich 4–0. He played for the first time as a left wing-forward for Barcelona in two Champions League matches against
Levski Sofia, finding the net twice. In the first knock out stage of the same competition, he played at central midfield against
Liverpool. Despite being moved around the pitch by manager Rijkaard, the 2006–07 season remains Iniesta's highest scoring thus far.
With the departure of
Ludovic Giuly over the summer break, Iniesta was able to switch his number 24 shirt for his preferred number 8.
[10] On 19 July 2007, the Spanish newspaper
Marca linked Iniesta with a move to rivals
Real Madrid, who were willing to pay his €60 million release clause.
[11]
Iniesta responded the same day to deny the rumours, saying: "I’ve been
told about that and I’m very surprised. I can’t do anything about it but
I’d like to insist once again that I want to stay here. When I say I
want to retire in Barça, I say it with all my heart. And my wishes are
above everything else."
[10] On 25 January 2008, Iniesta extended his contract to 2014,
[12] with his buy-out clause being raised to €150 million.
[13]
According to the Spanish football magazine
Don Balón, a member of
European Sports Magazines, Iniesta has been one of the most consistent performers in the last two seasons of Primera Division, placing fifth in 2006–07,
[14] and fourth in
2007–08[15] on their annual rating system Ranking
Don Balón. He also placed 9th in the
2008 FIFA World Player of the Year voting, gaining 37 total points.
[16] Barcelona team-mates
Lionel Messi,
Samuel Eto'o and Xavi also featured in the top ten.
2008–09
Andrés Iniesta warming-up for Barcelona
In September 2008, after the departure of former vice-captain
Ronaldinho to
Milan, the Barcelona squad decided on its new team captains. Iniesta was named fourth-choice behind, in order of preference,
Carles Puyol,
Xavi and
Víctor Valdés; all four were products of the Barcelona youth system.
[17]
In mid-November 2008, Iniesta suffered a leg injury and was expected to
return to action in six weeks. Iniesta, however, did not want to come
back until he was 100 percent and finally returned to action on 3
January 2009 as a 65th minute substitute against
RCD Mallorca. After only 10 minutes he scored a crucial goal and completed a Barcelona comeback in front of the
Camp Nou.
[18] His performances in the
2008–09
season have been highly lauded, receiving standing ovations both in
Barcelona at the Camp Nou, as well as from rival supporters in away
matches.
[19]
On 5 February, Iniesta made his 250th appearance for Barcelona in the
Copa del Rey match against Mallorca. Iniesta once again got injured in Barcelona's home match against
Málaga CF, but returned to action for the first leg Champions League quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich, which Barcelona won 4–0.
Former teammate
Samuel Eto'o described Iniesta as being "the best player in the world; whenever Iniesta is on the pitch, he creates a spectacle."
[20]
Iniesta scored a vital equaliser from outside the penalty area in the
final minute of stoppage time during the second-leg of the Champions
League semi-final against
Chelsea, securing the tie on away goals as the match finished 1–1.
[21] In his diary of the season,
Un Any Al Paradis,
he wrote "I connected with that shot with the outside, not the inside
or the tip of my boot, but right from my heart, with all my might."
[22]
"I knew I would play injured and do more damage. For 17 days, all I
thought about was the final in Rome and winning, even knowing that I
would do more damage. I'd repeat it, for sure. I love this club and my
profession and I wanted to win. If we had lost
the final that would have been a total disaster."
Andrés Iniesta, September 2009
[23]
This goal sent Barcelona through to the
2009 UEFA Champions League Final in Rome against defending champions
Manchester United. Prior to the final, Manchester United manager
Alex Ferguson
said: "I'm not obsessed with Messi, Iniesta is the danger. He's
fantastic. He makes the team work. The way he finds passes, his movement
and ability to create space is incredible. He's so important for
Barcelona."
[4] Despite a thigh injury, Iniesta played and was influential in the game, providing the assist for the first goal scored by
Samuel Eto'o as his team went on to win 2–0;
[24] in his analysis,
David Pleat wrote, "In the end the midfield artistry of Iniesta and Xavi, helped by Messi, was the critical factor".
[25] After the game,
Wayne Rooney described Iniesta as the best player in the world.
[26]
Don Balón rated him as the most consistent performer in the 2008–09
La Liga season, ahead of team-mates
Xavi and
Lionel Messi.
[27]
2009–10
On 18 October, Iniesta was included in a list of 30 candidates for the prestigious
Ballon d'Or, given to the top player of the year in Europe, along with teammates
Xavi and
Lionel Messi and former teammates
Thierry Henry,
Yaya Touré,
Zlatan Ibrahimović, and current
Anzhi Makhachkala striker
Samuel Eto'o. Andrés was one of five nominations for the
World Player of the Year
award alongside teammates Lionel Messi, and Xavi Hernandez. Proud of
the nomination, he commented that "the fans of the team who have always
been there to support our team-mates also deserve to be recognised". The
ceremony was held in
Zürich and teammate Lionel Messi took home the award. Iniesta placed fifth with 134 votes.
[28] He scored his first goal for the season against
Racing Santander in a 4–0 win. Iniesta's 2009–10 season was largely disrupted by recurrent injuries. He missed pre-season fitness training
[29] due to the thigh tear suffered in the
2009 Champions League final
and this meant that despite featuring in almost as many matches as the
previous season, he did so mostly as a substitute, starting only 20
games throughout.
[30]
Nevetheless, Barcelona once again won the La Liga title securing a
record 99 points. His season came to an end after he aggravated a
previous calf injury during training.
[31]
On 27 November 2009, he made a one-year extension to his Barcelona
contract which now runs until 2015; his buy-out clause was raised again
from €150 million to €200 million.
[32]
2010–11
After being given extended rest by
Spain coach
Vicente del Bosque following the
World Cup, Iniesta returned to
Barcelona for a pre-season medical on 9 August 2010.
[33] Speaking to
FC Barcelona's website, he said of the message dedicated to
Daniel Jarque revealed during his goal celebration in the
World Cup final:
"I did it because I felt it deeply. It showed that what is more
important than rivalry, your team or your colours is to be human and a
good person. I am delighted because it was the most important moment in
my career."
[34]
Asked about the recurrent injuries that plagued his 2009–10 season, he
said: "It was hard, but I will start with more desire than ever."
[34]
Iniesta scored his first goal of the season for Barcelona during the
opening La Liga fixture against Racing Santander, lobbing the ball into
the net from a distance of 30 yards.
[35] He received standing ovations from home fans at
El Sardinero and the
Vicente Calderón Stadium in appreciation of his
World Cup-winning exploits whilst with the Spanish national team.
[36] He also had a standing ovation in the home pitch of
RCD Espanyol in
El Derbi, with the crowd acknowledging his friendship with
Daniel Jarque.
[37] Barcelona won the match 5–1.
He was one of the three finalists for the
2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, alongside Barcelona teammates Xavi and Messi, but came second as Messi won the award.
[38]
2011–12
Andrés started the
2011–12 season by scoring the opening goal in the second leg of the
Supercopa de España against rivals
Real Madrid. Barcelona went on to win the match 3–2 and the cup on agg.
5–4.
On 17 March 2012, playing against
Sevilla FC at
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Iniesta equaled
Emilio Butragueno’s record of 50 matches unbeaten streak in Spanish
La Liga.
[39]. On 24 March 2012, Barcelona defeated
RCD Mallorca 2–0, marking Iniesta's 51st match unbeaten in the league.
International career
Iniesta burst on to the international scene in 2001, helping
Spain win the
UEFA
European Under-16 Championship, and was in the squad that claimed the
UEFA European Under-19 Championship the following year. Since then, he
became a regular choice for the then youth coach
Juan Santisteban. In 2003 he formed part of the Spanish side that reached the
FIFA World Youth Championship final in the
United Arab Emirates, and was named in the
FIFA all-star team. During his spell with the
Spain U21s side, Iniesta was named captain on several occasions.
Originally a fringe player, he was called up to represent
Spain at the
World Cup 2006 on 15 May 2006, much to the surprise of many. Iniesta won his first
cap for
Spain when he was brought on at half-time in a friendly against
Russia on 27 May 2006.
He scored his first goal for Spain in a friendly against
England
on 7 February 2007. His long range effort, hitting the underside of the
crossbar on the way in, gave Spain the lead on 63 minutes. Iniesta
proceeded to play a pivotal part in Spain's qualification for Euro 2008
by scoring goals against the likes of Sweden and by assisting the
strikers. Iniesta usually played in the middle of the pitch, but he was
also trusted with roles further up the pitch when Spain was away from
home, most notably in the game against Denmark where he was given an
advanced left wing position.
Iniesta was selected in Spain's squad for
UEFA Euro 2008
in Austria and Switzerland. Though a stomach virus somewhat hampered
his performances in the group stages, he still played an integral part
in the midfield. He played in the first two of Spain's group stage
matches and proved an important part of the team providing a
particularly notable pass for
David Villa's
second goal against Russia. He was not rested, unlike most of Spain's
regulars, for the final group game against Greece (which Spain won 2–1
thanks to a fantastic volley from
Rubén de la Red and a late winner from
Daniel Güiza),
and returned for the quarter-final as Spain beat Italy on penalties.
Iniesta was substituted before the penalty shoot out itself. In the
semi-final against Russia he played the entire 90 minutes and produced a
quality cross which
Xavi converted to open the scoring. The Technical Study Group named him the Man of the Match.
[40] He played the full duration of the
final in
Spain's 1–0 win over
Germany. Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside fellow Spain midfielders Xavi and
Marcos Senna and 6 other teammates.
Iniesta did not participate in the
2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa due to a thigh muscle injury. Spain was eliminated from the Tournament.
[41]
He was called for the
2010 World Cup, and scored the second goal in a 2–1 win against
Chile. He was also named
man of the match.
[42]
For his excellent performances in helping Spain reach the final of the
tournament, Iniesta was shortlisted for the Golden Ball award.
[43] During the
2010 World Cup he scored the winning goal in the
2010 FIFA World Cup Final In a 1–0 win against
Netherlands in the 116th minute,
[44]
removing his jersey during his celebration to reveal an inscription on
his undershirt reading "Dani Jarque: siempre con nosotros", which
translates to "Dani Jarque: always with us," in tribute of former Spain
youth teammate and
RCD Espanyol captain
Daniel Jarque, who passed away of a heart attack in August 2009.
[45] He won the
man of the match award for his performance which sent Spain to their first ever
World Cup win.
[46]
Europa Press
reported that Iniesta was the most popular Spanish sportsman on the
internet throughout 2010. The study performed by company Vipnet360
examined the web presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube. Iniesta was followed by
Iker Casillas,
David Villa,
Rafael Nadal, and
Fernando Alonso rounding the top 5.
[47]
In the Euro 2012, Iniesta was awarded the man of the match award for
his performances in three different matches. He was also selected as man
of the match in the final against Italy, a game in which Spain won 4–0.
By winning the award, Iniesta became the only Spanish player to win the
award at least once in each of Spain's three consecutive successful
tournaments.
[48] Iniesta was also chosen as the UEFA Euro 2012 Player of the Tournament.
[49]
Style of play
Like fellow
La Masia graduate
Cesc Fàbregas, Iniesta originally started as a
defensive midfielder[50]
but his balance, ball control and agility allied with his skill on the
ball saw him make progress as an attacking midfielder. Beyond his raw
talent that was spotted at a young age by
FC Barcelona's
scouts, it was his great versatility, work ethic and inventiveness that
allowed him to stake a claim on a first-team place at the age of 18.
[51] Vicente del Bosque described him as "the complete footballer. He can attack and defend, he creates and scores," and
Frank Rijkaard
said "I played him as a false winger, central midfielder, deep
midfielder and just behind the striker and he was always excellent."
[4] He was used initially as a wide-forward in the absence of
Juan Roman Riquelme and
Ronaldinho by
Louis van Gaal and Rijkaard respectively, but made his name as a world-class player in central midfield alongside or in lieu of
Xavi, at both club and international level. As
FIFA.com
says, "It is in this position that his direct style and quick feet can
be used to full effect, with the ball seeming glued to his toes as he
races into threatening positions. Iniesta is a player known for his
passing, dribbling, vision and movement."
[52] Much like other Barcelona youth products such as Guardiola, Xavi and
Iván de la Peña,
Iniesta relies on exceptional creative passing, intuition and
inventiveness to control the midfield and dictate the ebb and flow of
play.
[53] Iniesta has been praised for his understanding and interplay with Xavi; former Barcelona teammate
Giovanni van Bronckhorst saying "They have a special relationship, they always have, they just seem to know where the other one is".
[54]
During his maturation as a player, he has gained a reputation for
playing a part in important goals for club and country, specifically
playing a leading role in the
2006,
2009 and
2011 UEFA Champions League finals, as well as the
2010 FIFA World Cup Final and
2008–09 UEFA Champions League and
Euro 2008 semi-finals.
[51]
His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch has earned him the sobriquet
El Ilusionista (The Illusionist),
El Cerebro (The Brain),
El Anti-Galáctico (a pun on Real Madrid players' nickname
Los Galácticos),
El Caballero Pálido (The Pale Knight)
[55] and most recently
Don Andrés
from the Spanish press. Zidane also praised Iniesta by saying "Iniesta
is really impressing me," the 39-year-old told Spanish radio station
Cadena Cope. "He's got so much influence in Spain's game. He reminds me
of myself, but he is more pale than me
[56]
Personal life
Since 2008, Iniesta has dated Anna Ortiz,
[57]
and in September 2010 he confirmed that she was pregnant with his
child. On 3 April 2011 she gave birth to their daughter Valeria. The
couple married on 8 July 2012
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