Legendary midfielder Andres Iniesta announced his retirement from football this week at a special event. In Barcelona. The Spanish icon also recently shared his thoughts on what it was like to play under manager Luis Enrique during their time together at the Catalan club.
Iniesta has won an impressive 38 trophies with both his club and his country, notably during the 2010 World Cup, where he scored the winning goal in extra time. He also won four UEFA Champions League titles and two UEFA European Championships.
He made 674 appearances for Barcelona and played a crucial role in the club’s golden era from 2008 to 2012, a period often considered the best in its history. During this period, Barcelona won two Champions League titles and three consecutive league championships. Iniesta also won 131 caps for the Spain senior national team.
Following his retirement, the former midfielder spoke to SPORT and highlighted the impact Enrique had on his career.
“Luis Enrique?” It’s his way of understanding and communicating football,” Iniesta told the Spanish media outlet (h/t Le10Sport). “I’ve had the privilege of working with the best, and that’s something truly valuable for any player.
“Even if you are not fully aware of it, his way of managing the group marks you. You don’t need tactical analysis to see how talented someone is: it’s more about how they handle things on a day-to-day basis.
