Iniesta says goodbye to the stadiums International sport in front of 45,000 spectators

Al Malaeb Newspaper – Retired Spanish football star Andres Iniesta bid farewell to his football career in a friendly match between Barcelona legends and Real Madrid in Tokyo on Sunday, before looking forward to entering the coaching arena in the future.

Iniesta (40 years old) announced last October that he would retire after a triumphant career that saw him win the European Cup twice and the World Cup once with the Spanish national team.

The crowd, estimated at 45,000 in Tokyo, was given one last chance to enjoy the skills of the player who won the Spanish championship nine times with Barcelona and four Champions League titles during the 16 years he spent with the Catalan side team The pass late in the match caused Real Madrid's defense to make a mistake in the match. His goal ensured that Barcelona won 2-1.

“I think it was a great match for the Japanese fans,” said Iniesta, who played for Vissel Kobe in Japan for five years after leaving Barcelona in 2018. “If they go home happy, then I'm very happy,” he said. said.

Iniesta played alongside his former Barcelona midfield partner Xavi Hernandez, as well as former big Barcelona stars such as Brazilian Rivaldo, Mexican Rafael Marquez and Argentine Javier Saviola.

On the other hand, the most prominent former Real Madrid stars participated, such as Brazilian Roberto Carlos, Italian Fabio Cannavaro and goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Iniesta grew up in Barcelona's famous La Masia Academy and first competed with the team at the age of 18. He appeared in 674 matches and won a total of 32 titles during his time at Camp Nou.

He then moved to Japanese club Vissel Kobe before playing a final season with Emirati club Emirates.