Andres Iniesta confirms the next step after his retirement

Barcelona icon Andres Iniesta has revealed he has already taken his first steps towards becoming a coach after retiring at the age of 40.

Iniesta ended a glittering career for club and country earlier this month that spanned more than 23 years, 1,126 games and one World Cup-winning goal. The trophy-laden Barcelona academy graduate spent the last six years of his career in Asia. In 2018, he left his boyhood club for Japanese side Vissel Kobe before making his final swan song in the UAE with Emirates.

The 40-year-old had been trying out his impending retirement before officially ending his playing career on October 8 in a tribute to his long-running jersey number. During a tearful ceremony, Iniesta warned: “The experience on the grass is over, but I cannot be far from football, which will remain my life.”

The next step in the former great’s career has now been confirmed. Iniesta posted a series of photos of himself in tracksuits to confirm he had started a coaching course. “Thank you @uaefa for giving me the opportunity to start learning and training,” he wrote.

Iniesta only reluctantly hung up his boots. “I’m quite stubborn,” he said at his farewell. “I would have liked to play until I was 90.” But time waits for no one – not even someone who seemed to bend the clock to his will while he was on the field.

The former Ballon d’Or runner-up had the idea to make the switch to coaching when he moved to the UAE last summer. “The idea when we left Japan for the Emirates, in addition to being closer to Spain, was to start the coaching course there,” he told the Spanish publication. Mundo Deportivo.

“Here in Spain (the coaching courses) will also open next summer. I can do both things, but being in Asia would only be useful for Asia. The part of doing it in Spain is what is useful for Europe and I will try to do both things to do.”

Iniesta flourished in Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona team and has described the Manchester City manager as an ‘idol’ in the past, but refused to name any of his coaching inspirations. The former midfielder also played down the idea of ​​taking over Barcelona in the future.

“It’s an incredible challenge for any coach and even more so for coaches who have been players here and have a history behind them,” said Iniesta, who saw his former teammate Xavi Hernandez sacked by the club in the summer. “It’s a huge challenge. But if you think, as a coach you always try to be prepared for everything.”