Gareth Messenger

“Of course, I’d have liked to win more Champions Leagues” 

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. Andres Iniesta is a footballer who has won everything that has stood in front of him. Yet still, he wanted more. 

It’s quite ironic really that Iniesta’s Champions League farewell occurred in the same place his and Barcelona’s dominance of Europe began - Rome. Barca’s period of supremacy at the Stadio Olimpico with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final, makes for very interesting symmetry. 

Back in 2009, they were vibrant, aggressive and proactive. Iniesta was majestic. Fast forward to the same venue in 2018, Iniesta remained a fantastic footballer, but at 33, his ability to get away from players understandably wasn't what it once was.

When he joined up with the Barcelona first-team, Iniesta was that good, Pep Guardiola turned to Xavi and said, "You will retire me, but this kid will retire us both." 

Iniesta was one of the key components in the Barcelona "carousel", as Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson described it, claiming the playmaker was more integral and dangerous than even Lionel Messi.

The best Spanish footballer of his generation, it was fitting that Iniesta was the player who scored the goal that won Spain the FIFA World Cup in 2010. He was central to all their success and has been Barcelona's best player after Messi over the last decade.

It’s in Europe’s premier club competition where Iniesta has really shown the quality others have so often raved about. 

Iniesta’s introduction at half-time of the 2006 Champions League is seen as one of the catalysts for Barca’s revival against a depleted Arsenal side. Down to 10-men and even a goal up, Arsenal was giving the boys from Catalonia some issues.

Iniesta replaced the less-creative influence Edmilson and started to search out the openings in the depleted Gunners defensive shield. Eventually, they broke through with Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti scoring in the final 20 minutes to hand La Blaugrana the title. 

We all remember where Iniesta first froze time and stunned the world in the Champions League. 2009. London. Where the Barca dominance of the continent truly ignited.

That stoppage-time goal against Chelsea broke the hearts of the boys in blue. It set up a final against Manchester United which Barca went on to win comfortably. 

Two years later and it was the same old story. Barca against United in the final – Guardiola’s side beating Ferguson’s team again – this time at Wembley. That marked three European cups for Iniesta now and still at the age of just 27. 

Then in 2015, he left his final appearance in a European cup final for the last one. Iniesta’s man of the match display against Juventus in Berlin was significant for two reasons. 

One: Xavi was on the bench and eventually replaced Iniesta in the 78th minute for his final ever appearance in a Barca shirt.Two: it symbolised Iniesta becoming the new head of the Barca party as he captained the side on that night in Germany. 

Iniesta’s Barca career was naturally coming to an end. Despite his influence in that final, 2015 marked the slow phase-out and onto pastures new. But his influence on the best Barca we’ll probably ever see will be forever etched in history. 

Iniesta has been named in the FIFA FIFAPro World XI nine times and was chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year on six occasions. He won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2012 and missed out narrowly to Lionel Messi in the race for the 2010 FIFA Ballon D’or. 

A four-time Champions League winner whose blueprint shaped history for those in the red and blue of Barcelona.