Andrés Iniesta

About

Andrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan]; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish football coach and former professional footballer who is the manager of UAE First Division League club Gulf United. He played as a midfielder and spent most of his career at La Liga club Barcelona. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, he was lauded for his balance, ball control and agility in close spaces, combined with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball.
Iniesta joined Barcelona’s La Masia academy after moving from his birthplace at a young age and quickly emerged as one of the club’s prospects. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002 and became a regular during Barcelona’s 2004–05 La Liga-winning campaign. The following season, he played a key role as the club achieved a league and UEFA Champions League double. His reputation continued to grow, culminating in a vital role in Barcelona’s historic treble-winning campaign in 2008–09. Iniesta was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year in 2009, the first of nine and six selections, respectively. In 2010–11, Iniesta won his third Champions League title as Barcelona completed…