AndrÃ©s Iniesta

Andrés Iniesta, 2012

Andrés Iniesta Luján ( born May 11, 1984 in Fuentealbilla, Albacete ) is a Spanish football player. The standing under contract at FC Barcelona attacking midfielder is usually used on the left side, but occasionally plays on the right side, as winger.

In the final of the 2010 World Cup against the Netherlands Iniesta scored just before the end of the extension the winning goal for the Spanish national football team, which thereby became world champion for the first time. Iniesta was selected for the second time after 2008 European Champion and also the best player of the tournament at the 2012 European Championship.

Career

Association

With twelve years Iniesta was discovered at his club Albacete Balompié Scouts of FC Barcelona and immediately committed because of his extraordinary talent. He attended the club's La Masia boarding. Iniesta went through, mostly used as a defensive midfielder, the youth team of FC Barcelona and came across the 2000/01 season for FC Barcelona B, where he became the playmaker.

On 29 October 2002, the then- coach Louis van Gaal Iniesta sat for the first time in the first team and thus completed Iniesta made his debut in the Champions League group stage match against Club Bruges. His first game in the Spanish league, he played on December 21, 2002 against RCD Mallorca. During his first season at Barça he came to six league and three Champions League inserts.

In the following season 2003/ 04 he was mostly a substitute for Ronaldinho and so came to a goal in eleven league games. In his third season, 2004/ 05, Iniesta became a fixed size squad of FC Barcelona and came in 37 out of 38 league games for use, but he was, however, only twelve times in the starting lineup. Into the goal he scored in this season only twice, but he made some templates for players like Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho.

In the 2005/06 season could see a steady improvement of midfielder. At the beginning of turn usually only a substitute, he came to a violation of team-mate Xavi more use and also scored a goal.

With his goal in the seventh minute against Levski Sofia Iniesta scored the first goal of UEFA Champions League 2006 /07, which was also his personal debut goal in the premier class. This season, Iniesta was one of the pillars of his team, he missed only one league game and was with his six goals of the highest-scoring midfielder.

Because of these services Real Madrid should according to media reports have offered 60 million euros for Iniesta in July 2007. The then president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta said immediately: " We will not sell Iniesta. He belongs to the heart of FC Barcelona and is a key player from us, " Iniesta himself says to the offer from Real Madrid: ". ., When I say that I want to finish my career at Barcelona, then I mean it with all my heart so "

In the season 2007/ 08 Iniesta completed 28 league games over the full period, as many as never before in his career.

On 6 May 2009 with the only goal of his team in the game, he scored in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea in stoppage time goal for a 1-1 draw, making the team on the away goals rule, the final reached. As Barça three weeks later won the Champions League final against Manchester United, he was one of the best players on the pitch and headed Eto'o's opening goal a. This season he also won the Spanish Cup and the Copa del Rey and was therefore at the initial profit of the triples in the club's history of FC Barcelona involved. From the magazine Don Balón he was subsequently honored as the best Spanish players in the Primera División. When choosing World Footballer of the Year 2010, he was elected from his team-mates, before Xavi and Messi behind, in second place.

In the 2009/10 season Iniesta had often struggled with injuries and so played only 20 league games from the beginning. Even in the last games of the season, when Barça again won the Spanish championship, he was not operational and had to follow from the stands to the discarding of his team in the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan.

In the following season, Iniesta was again with Barcelona champion and won the victory in the final against Manchester United and the Champions League.

National

Iniesta's international operations began in 2001, when he won the U-16 European Championship with Spain. The following year, he won the Spanish U19 national team is also the European title. At the Junior World Cup 2003 in the UAE, he played in the Spanish U-20 team that reached the final of the tournament, and was selected after the tournament in the FIFA all-star team. Subsequently, he was several times captain of the Spanish Under-21 team.

On 25 May 2004, born in the province of Albacete Iniesta made his debut in the Catalan football team, as he stood in the 2:5 defeat to Brazil in the grid. It was so far its only use.

Iniesta's first game for the Spanish national team took place on 27 May 2006 against Russia, as a substitute for Cesc Fabregas in the second half. Iniesta was in the squad of the Spanish national team for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where he only insignificant in the final group match against Saudi Arabia was used. His first goal for Spain, he scored in a friendly match in February 2007 against England.

When qualifying for EURO 2008, he played an important role in Spain's national team, especially through his goals against Sweden and Iceland and his assists. Iniesta was subsequently nominated for the 2008 European Championship in the Spanish squad. The Spanish fans and the media saw him among the " Glorious fours " of the Spanish midfield. Next to him also Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva were midfield in the " dream ". In the very first game against Russia, he demonstrated his prowess with a wonderful pass to the defenders around on David Villa, who scored to make it 2-0. As in the semi-final opponent again Russia was said that he was his half- high and sharp purely placed cross from the left penalty area, the consummate team-mate Xavi to 1:0, in turn, has become a major player on the court. Iniesta was also appointed to the UEFA All Star Team of the tournament against Germany after his outstanding performance in the final victory of his team. He was also the only Spanish player who was in every game of EURO 08 in the starting lineup.

In qualifying for the 2010 World Cup Iniesta came in six out of ten used and was successful as a scorer against Belgium. In the 2010 World Cup he was questionable for the first group game for a long time, finally he stood in the match against Switzerland but in the starting lineup. In this encounter Iniesta had to be replaced injured shortly before the end of the game, which he missed the second group game against Honduras. For the last group match against Chile, he declared himself ready for use and, with a thoughtful and precise low shot into the right corner made it 2-0 for Spain. Spain sat down with it as a group first before Chile. In the next round against Portugal, he headed a pass to Xavi, who continued to play back-heel to scorer David Villa, the winning goal a. Four days later, Iniesta dribbled past the quarter-finals against Paraguay penalty box by and then took off to the unmarked Pedro. Although his shot hit the post, but turned villa in connection to the only goal of the day. Iniesta was afterwards chosen as in the group match against Chile, the Man of the Match. It was followed by the semi-final against Germany, which dominated his team, especially in midfield and the game was won in the end with a goal from Carles Puyol for themselves. In the final against the Netherlands to Iniesta increased in the course of the game more and more, after he found no remedy for the Dutch defense in the regular season. In the extension then he put a scoring chance for Cesc Fàbregas on, settled mostly stop only by fouls, which led to the dismissal of John Heitinga, and eventually scored the winning goal in the 116th minute. Iniesta, who in turn was elected Man of the Match, Spain shot becoming the first winning a World Cup in its history.

Iniesta was selected for the 2012 European Championship in Poland and Ukraine, named player of the tournament and defended by Spain of the title. In the same year he was named European Footballer of the Year.

At the Confederations Cup in 2013, he reached with Spain for the first time the finals, where they lost to hosts Brazil to a record group of 29 competitive games without defeat. Iniesta was named the second best player with the " Silver Ball " and was " Player of the Match" in the first game against Uruguay.

Achievements

Club:

Spanish Champion: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
Spanish Cup winners: 2009, 2012
Spanish Super Cup Winners: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
UEFA Champions League winner: 2006, 2009, 2011
UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011
FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011

National team:

World Champion: 2010 (6 inserts, 2 goals)
European Championship: 2008 (6 inserts ), 2012 (6 inserts)
U-16 European Championship: 2001
U-19 European Championship: 2002
Vice Junior World Champion: 2003
Confederations Cup 2013: Second

Personal Awards:

European Footballer of the Year: 2012
FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2010 2nd place, 3rd place 2012
Player of the year in Spain: 2009
IFFHS World Playmaker: 2012, 2013
Choice in the FIFA / FIFPro World XI: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Election to the UEFA Team of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Player of the tournament at Euro 2012
Election to the UEFA All- Star team: Euro 2008, Euro 2012
Elected to the All- Star team of 2010 World Cup
Confederations Cup 2013: Silver Ball as the second best player

Playing style and skills

Iniesta is a versatile player who can be used in various positions. He usually plays in the left midfield, sometimes on the right, or as a left winger. He changes during a game also like the page and brings with its sophisticated shooting mechanic in the game with an attack. His greatest strengths are his technical proficiency, his security pass and be looking out for the empty space with which he succeeds again and again to overturn the defense. His former team-mate Samuel Eto'o said of him: "He is one of the few footballers, where everything Difficult succeeds lightly ."

His role model is his former coach Pep Guardiola, he hang the posters in his room, which he had written. " For the best player I 've ever seen " Eben This Guardiola said in the nineties on Iniesta to Xavi: "Look you times these Iniesta to the youth team. Xavi, you're going to send me to the pension, but Iniesta, who sends us all to retire. "

Personal

Iniesta grew up in the region of La Mancha. In his home town Fuentealbilla 2008, a street ( Calle Andrés Iniesta ) was named after him, in which he allowed himself to build a house later. Iniesta is in Fuentealbilla also owner of a 120 -acre vineyard.

Little is known about Iniesta's private life, in July 2012, he married his girlfriend Ana Ortiz. On April 3, 2011, the daughter Valeria was born. In 2014 he and his wife lost their second child due to a miscarriage.

After Iniesta had scored the winning goal in the World Cup final in 2010 and taken off his shirt, standing on his undershirt reading " Dani Jarque siempre con nosotros " ( in German: Dani Jarque is always with us). He remembered his old friend Daniel Jarque, with whom he had played in many Spanish youth national teams and the 2002 was grown along with it 's U-19 European Championship. The former captain of Espanyol had died of heart failure in 2009 at the age of 26 years.

Others

Iniesta's contract with FC Barcelona has a term until June 2015. Transfer fee for him is to be fixed at 200 million euros.

Since joining the professional team of FC Barcelona, Iniesta wore the jersey with the number 24, after Ludovic Giuly was changed in July 2007 to AS Roma, Iniesta got the jersey with the now vacant request number 8 This number he had worn in his youth. His team-mate Xavi in the team number 6, on the other hand had Xavi in the national team at Euro 2012 and the Confederations Cup 2013, the number 8 and the number 6 Iniesta

There is a book in Catalan that describes Iniesta's experiences during the 2008/ 09 season.

In December 2011, Iniesta bought 7000 shares his home club Albacete Balompié for 420,000 euros. He should be the main shareholder of the club.