Barcelona legend was close to making surprise move to Real Madrid in 2007 - Reports
The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid has been one of the most fierce and popular ones in football. It is almost like an unsaid rule that if you've worn the shirt for one club on pitch, moving to the other side is betrayal. Yet, controversies regarding transfers between the two clubs are not small in number.
According to SPORT, one of Barcelona's biggest legends, Andres Iniesta was close to joining Real Madrid in 2007. Los Blancos were ready to pay Iniesta's €60 million release clause and negotiate with their rivals for a quick transfer.
Predrag Mijatovic, who served as the Los Blancos sporting director at that time, admitted last year that the club was close to signing the Spaniard. The club's then coach, Bernd Schuster, was also keen on signing the legendary midfielder.
“We were close and we took advantage of a moment when he had to renew his contract, and the player could not reach an agreement with Barça.” Mijatovic said in 2023.
Real Madrid's proposal for Iniesta reportedly came at a crucial time as the midfielder was not performing at his best during those years. Iniesta was reportedly staying on a very low salary and Barca were not making any progress towards renewing his contract despite promises.
The midfielder's then contract was set to expire in 2010 but his release clause was not a problem for Real Madrid. The club were reportedly looking to get the deal done by taking advantage of the situation. Given their situation, Los Blancos could clearly offer Andres a more lucrative deal than his boyhood club.
Why did Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta not join Real Madrid?
Despite everything reportedly being in place, Andres Iniesta's transfer to Real Madrid never took place. However, the reasons why the transfer fell through have not been confirmed by either side.
Iniesta may have decided to stay back at his boyhood club, especially with most of his teammates from the Spanish national team also being at Barcelona.
The Blaugrana may have also rejected Madrid's offer or the club could have found another alternative, especially since such a transfer would only increase the hostility between the institutions. A similar case took place with Luis Figo in 2000, with fans not reacting favorably to the Portuguese.
However, things turned out perfectly well for Don Iniesta as he went on to win multiple titles with Barca, including two trebles, comprising the UEFA Champions League, the La Liga and the Copa Del Rey. He also found success at the international level, having won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 with Spain and the Euros twice in 2008 and 2012.
Andres Iniesta left Barcelona in 2018 after having an illustrous career at the club. He continues to inspire younger players at the club and is an integral part of the Blaugrana history.