I am here to play good football and help UAE youngsters, says Iniesta

Growing up as a child in a small village, Andres Iniesta was deprived of an opportunity to play football outdoors.

There were no football pitches in Fuentealbilla, Iniesta’s native village in the Spanish province of Albacete.

So he took refuge in futsal, the indoor version of the beautiful game which is played on a hard court.

This was in the mid 1990s. But the tales of his extraordinary skills soon reached Barcelona.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Now after 22 glorious years in Europe, having pulled the strings for Barcelona and the Spanish national teams, Iniesta is all set to start a new journey.

The 39-year-old midfielder, who spent five years at Vissel Kobe in Japan after leaving Barcelona in 2018, signed a one-year deal at Emirates Club in Ras Al Khaimah.

But Iniesta made it clear that he is not here only to play football for his new club.

“I am also here to promote football and help the youngsters here in Ras Al Khaimah,” he said after signing his contract amid cheers from his adoring fans.

“The facilities here in the UAE are wonderful. We have an exciting project here. This will also allow me to work with the academy players. I will try my best to pass on my knowledge. I will give all my support and time to help the young players in the club.

“Hopefully, we will be able to see a lot of good players in future in Ras Al Khaimah and in the UAE.”

Iniesta’s primary role, though, is still to play at a high level for Emirates Club and help them achieve big things in the UAE Pro League.

“I am going to do my best as a player to help my new team. I am here to play good football and to do good results,” said Iniesta.

The creative spark in the Barcelona midfield alongside the legendary Xavi and the incomparable Lionel Messi during their glory days from 2008 to 2015 when the Catalan club twice completed the treble (La Liga, Kings Cup and the Champions League in 2009 and 2015), Iniesta also dazzled for the Spanish national team that won three back-to-back major trophies (2008 Euro, 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euro).

The Ballon d’Or may have remained elusive for Iniesta, but any individual trophy pales in comparison to the incredible joy he felt after scoring the match-winning goal in the 2010 final against the Netherlands that ended Spain’s long wait for their first World Cup title.

Exciting project

The Spanish legend, who also had an offer to join Messi’s Inter Miami, revealed what attracted him to Emirates Club.

“I was very happy to meet Mr Youssef Al Batran, the chairman of Emirates Club, and his team. They showed me their project for the future, and I am very glad to be part of it,” he said.

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