Author of the most important goal in the history of Spanish football, Andrés Iniesta (Fuentealbilla, Albacete, 1984) is still active 12 years later as driven by an inner force that prevents him from separating from the ball. Having just landed in Qatar with his entire family, Iniesta will enjoy the World Cup, which he starts today, like someone returning to a home, not so much geographical as emotional.
How many times have you seen his goal from the World Cup final in South Africa?
I don't know, countless... And every time a World Cup approaches, well, it comes to mind, you see it on TV, you hear comments...
And do you still feel the tickle?
Yes, every time. That feeling will never go away. Also, now with the children, because you still see it more times.
The most soccer fan of his sons is Paolo Andrea...
He is seven years old, yes... He has been thinking about the World Cup for three months and was counting the hours to leave. He is crazy about soccer.
As a parent it must be fun...
It's very nice. It is also a way of getting along, of identifying with him. I take him to train three days a week and he is constantly talking to you about football. When he gets up, the first thing he does is look at the results.
Perfect to disconnect from football for you it is not...
Well, sometimes it goes well, because he already knows more players than me... (smiles).
And has he already told you that your father scored the most important goal in the history of Spanish football?
Well yes, he knows it and has seen it many times too. Except for the little one, who is not really aware of what happened, the rest know. They like him, of course, they like him.
And have you also explained to your children who Dani Jarque was, the one with the honored name on the shirt?
Paolo Andrea (7) and Valeria (11) have asked me who I was and the reason for that shirt, yes. Siena (5) goes to her ball, and Romeo (3) still doesn't know it.
And what do you tell them?
I explain what happened and how beautiful that moment was to be able to dedicate the goal to a person who is so important to me.
And what are you going to say to Paolo Andrea if you ask him if Spain is going to win this World Cup?
Well, I have a lot of faith and hope that the team is going to play a great role and hopefully they will fight for the best.
Is the 2010 selection unrepeatable? That generation of players was unique...
There will never be anything else like it, but now there are other players, another context, other rivals, and that does not mean that this Spain is not capable of winning a World Cup, or that it cannot play football well, or that it does not have consistency. I think he has the wickerwork to achieve all those things.
It is the third youngest team in the tournament...
A transition has been taking place for a long time to find a new block, and that can be made compatible with fighting for the maximum. I believe in them, starting with the coach, and you can see them convinced that they can achieve it.
But can you win a World Cup without big stars?
Perhaps no player stands out, but they all have a great level, and that's what's important. If Spain manages to find security in its game and consistency at a defensive level, it will be capable of anything. In South Africa, we won most of the games by one goal difference. The key was the confidence that made us think that in the end we would win that match. I think that is what Luis Enrique is trying to find.
The most visible leader is on the bench, perhaps this is the difference compared to 2010... How do you see the coach?
What I like the most about him is the conviction and confidence he has in what he does and what he wants, and that conviction is held from the first to the last who are going to be in Qatar. That is something very important in a group and in a World Cup: knowing that the coach will always be by the side of the players in good times and bad.
You know him very well...
I have a lot of esteem for him, I hope that what he is visualizing comes out.
If they are in Qatar and he asks for a hand...
I felt bad that my period with the national team ended just when he entered. I would have liked to be in his team as a player. If he had seen fit, he would have really liked me.
There is coincidence. The candidates for the title are France, Argentina and Brazil. Do you agree?
The ones we all have in mind are those, but we are also going to see what the Netherlands are capable of doing with Van Gaal or England. I think we will see a cool World Cup.
Yes? The trend leads us to a more robotized and less creative game...
I don't know if it's because I really want to and I'm excited to watch the games or see the national team, but I think you can see a great World Cup. The fact that it's at this time of year, when only two months of competition have passed and the physical condition of the players is good... I don't know, I like to think that you can see a good World Cup.
You are going to be a commentator for the first time. On TVE... Have you prepared yourself in any way?
I am not going to make the mistake of trying to be a journalist because it is neither my role nor my profession. I will try to bring naturalness, it will be something very special.
He still has to comment on Messi's title...
Well, if he wins, I'll be happy for him, because he's a person with whom I've shared a lot. There is also Brazil, with Dani and Ney... If Spain doesn't win it, let it be a team where you have a friend or a teammate you care about.
Returning to Spain, both Gavi and Pedri always speak of you as a reference. It must be rewarding...
Yes of course. It's nice that they say that about one, that both one and the other have noticed you just like I had my idols at the time. And more talking about the players they are and what they can become.
19 years old Pedri, and 18 Gavi. Too much responsibility? Isn't there a risk point there?
There is no risk because things come as they come. Nobody chooses the moment and nobody knows what will happen. For me they are two prepared players who have responded spectacularly. The key is in their talent, their football, their ambition... Over time, this will make them become great references both in their team and in the national team.
You footballers don't like comparisons, but you and Pedri... There is a legacy there that lengthens a way of conceiving the game, a plot thread that unites two generations.
Possibly. Pedri has to grow and make his way, but it is true that in many actions, in the way we move on the field, there are many similarities and a shared vision, a repetition mechanism of what you have seen before that can stay and stay.
Does the Iniesta spectator enjoy what kind of footballer the most, with Messi, Neymar, Mbappé or with another type of player?
What I like is that Pedri-type player, who does not care if he is playing in his town or in any stadium, with that naturalness and that enjoyment of football, that feeling that he does everything well, that he does anything Simple, that gets my attention.
And what about Busquets, the last of the Mohicans? Only he remains from 2010, and there he continues.
Busquets is super important for this selection. He is the captain and was the benchmark in the last Euro Cup. If it's going to be his last World Cup, let him enjoy it. May the game in Spain accompany him so that he feels comfortable and can give everything he has.
Last World Cup of Messi, of Busquets, Piqué leaves it...
Yes, I followed it. That moment is not easy for anyone. And more for players like him who have been at Barça all their lives. It comes to all of us, and we must be prepared.
Weren't you surprised that it was in November?
Many things are said, but the one who is in there, with his feelings, is the one who must decide. His situation in the team was complicated.
And Andrés Iniesta, when do you plan to stop playing? He has one more year left in Japan....
Let's go to the day Now I still want to go train, take care of myself to continue performing... I see myself playing for a couple more years, that's what I can tell you, but in a few months that perception will change.
A person so familiar and attached to his parents, who was going to tell him that he would spend four years in Japan?
It seemed impossible, yes, but today I can say that the fact of having come to Japan, of having lived this experience during all this time, has been one of the best things that have happened to me and to us as a family, in all the senses.
And then... Coach? Busquets wants to be and Xavi already is... and from Barça! How is he seeing you?
I like I like.
What convinces you more?
I like what I see and hopefully it will continue to put Barça back in its place very soon. I perceive changes in all aspects. He entered the club at one of the most difficult moments, and not only at a sporting level but also at an institutional level. And as we know, all this takes time. I have a lot of confidence in Xavi.
Does Iniesta have coaching material?
There are days when I do see myself and others when I don't, but I think I'll try in the end. Taking responsibility for managing a locker room appeals to me.
It won't be because of coaches throughout his career... Van Gaal, Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Del Bosque...
I've had a lot to learn, yes.
