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A press conference called on a highly symbolic day (8 October, to recall the number that accompanied him throughout almost his entire career), in his native Barcelona, surrounded by the affection of the people who loved him and with his entire family present. As Andres Iniesta has decided to announce his retirement from professional football.
“I wanted to thank all those who accompanied me today and all those who were unable to come on this special day. You will allow me to get emotional today, I would never have thought… (bursts into tears, ed.). I would never have thought that this day would have come. All these tears that we have shed in recent days are tears of emotion and pride. They are not tears of sadness, they are tears of that boy from Fuentealbilla who dreamed of becoming a footballer and he did it, we did it. After a lot of work and sacrifice and without ever giving up… These values have been essential in my life and that is why today I feel very proud of this whole journey. I have achieved my dream of becoming a professional footballer, it was what I wanted moreover”.
The now former midfielder’s career has been truly extraordinary. With the Blaugrana shirt he entered the history of football, winning everything: 4 Champions League, 3 Club World Cup, 9 championships, 3 European Super Cups, 6 King’s Cups and 7 Spanish Super Cups, becoming one of the most important footballers in history. With Spain he won two European titles (2008 and 2012) and a World Cup, with the decisive goal in the final against the Netherlands which definitively made him a legend of the sport.
A special day for the Iniesta family ✨ pic.twitter.com/bitO7cPAje
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) October 8, 2024