Tearful Andrés Iniesta announces retirement after trophy-laden career

‘I never thought this day would come. I never imagined it’

Tue, 08 Oct, 2024 - 13:34

The former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andrés Iniesta announced his retirement on Tuesday after a trophy-laden career spanning 24 years. Iniesta, 40, was at the heart of those midfields during a period of sustained success for both teams in the late-2000s and early-2010s.

“Please allow me to be a little emotional today …” a tearful Iniesta, who most recently played for Emirates Club in the United Arab Emirates, told a press conference. “I never thought this day would come. I never imagined it. Yes, all these tears we have shed these days are tears of emotion, of pride. They are not tears of sadness.