Andres Iniesta Facts
Is it possible for a footballer to acquire a legendary status even before he hangs up his boots? For players as good as Andres Iniesta it is. ‘Superhuman’ would be the best word to describe the Barcelona man because that’s how good his passing skills are. Together with midfield partner Xavi, Iniesta has been vital for club and country over the years. If you think you already know enough about him these Andres Iniesta facts will prove you wrong.
Andres Iniesta was born on 11th May 1984 in the small village of Fuentealbilla to Jose and Mario Iniesta. Like many Spanish kids Iniesta took up football from an early age and signed up for a seven a side team called Albacete Balompie. Iniesta performed so brilliantly that he soon attracted the attention of some of Spain’s top clubs. The youngster originally wanted to sign up for Real Madrid but his parents feared for his safety which caused Iniesta to decide against joining Los Blancos. However Iniesta’s parents knew Enrique Orizaola – a youth team coach for FC Barcelona and he persuaded the youngster to join the Catalans.
Iniesta found it extremely difficult to adjust to life in La Masia, Barcelona’s youth academy, and often cried a lot or kept to himself but eventually settled in. The youngster captained the victorious Barcelona Under-15 team in the Nike Premier Cup and even scored the winning goal in the final. Former Barcelona midfielder and future head coach Pep Guardiola was so impressed with the Iniesta’s skills that he remarked to Xavi "You're going to retire me. This lad is going to retire us all".
It would take eternity to list out Iniesta achievements with Barcelona over the past 12 seasons so I’m going to give you a low down. Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal gave Iniesta his first team debut which came on 29 October 2002 against Bruges in the Champions League. His home debut came on 5 January 2003 in a 3-0 win over Huelva.
He and midfield partner Xavi have formed an extremely fruitful relationship over the years and the pair have helped Barcelona win 6 La Liga’s, 2 Copa Del Ray’s, 3 Champions Leagues, 2 Club World Cups among loads of other silverware. The Spaniard has also won some prestigious individual awards like the UEFA Best Player In Europe Award, 2 IFHHS Worlds Best Playmaker Awards, the UEFA Champions League Best Player Award and was even the runner up to the Ballon d’Or in 2010 which he lost to Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi.
Iniesta has been in a relationship with girlfriend Anna Ortiz since 2008 and the pair have a daughter together named Valeria. The couple were due to have another child, a son, earlier this year but unfortunately lost it due to a miscarriage.
The 30-year-old’s excellent relationship with Xavi extends beyond the field and Iniesta’s former teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst once said "They have a special relationship, they always have, they just seem to know where the other one is”.
The Barcelona fans unsurprisingly hold Iniesta very close to their hearts and have nicknamed him ‘El Ilusionista’ which means the Illusionist in an ode to his superhuman passing skills. Other nicknames for him are ‘The Choir Boy’ and ‘The Anti Galactico’ – which is the Barcelona fans dig at arch rivals Real Madrid.
Iniesta holds the Catalonian people very close to his heart and along with his father owns a vineyard in the region which has produced superb wines like Finca el Carril, Corazon Loco , and Hechicero Crianza.
The Spaniard is a devout Catholic and even walked the way of Saint James after Spain won the World Cup in 2010, in which he scored the winning goal against Holland.
The midfield mastero has sponsorship deals with American sportswear Nike who supply Iniesta with their Magista range of boots. Other companies that Iniesta has sponsorship deals with include EA Sports who have made the player one of the main faces of their best selling FIFA video game series, Kalise the biggest ice cream company in Spain and Acros.
Iniesta hasn’t snapped ties with his boyhood club Albacete and is currently their largest shareholder. The midfielder even loaned them £400,000 which helped them clear their debts and ensured their stay in Spain’s B division.
Crossing the age of 30 will not have an effect on Iniesta’s skills. Just ask his midfield partner Xavi. So it is safe to say that we can expect a lot more trickery from the illusionist this season and the seasons to come.