Andres Iniesta is a famous Spanish soccer player, a former midfielder of FC Barcelona, and a vice-captain of the Spanish national team. He graduated from the Barcelona youth academy of La Masia and played as a team member at the age of 18 he club, “including eight La Liga championships and four Champions League titles” (Iniesta, 2016, p. 4). With Andres Iniesta, the national team of Spain won the European Championship twice and the 2010 World Cup final, where he made the winning goal (Iniesta, 2016). This paper analyzes Iniesta’s unique style of playing, which has a significant impact on soccer, examines the soccer community’s and the public view of the player, and discusses his legacy.
Influence on Soccer
Several analysts and representatives of the sports community have noted Andres Iniesta’s excellent possession of the space and outstanding pass technique. For instance, Curran (2018) emphasizes that “throughout his 8 league games, Andres Iniesta possesses an 87% pass completion but what is significant is his key passes to set up attacking opportunities” (para. 6). Especially significant for the gaming strategy is the fact that Iniesta imposes his tactics to the opponent.
Most of the passes are aimed at keeping the ball, but the player also skillfully and creatively breaks the defensive lines of the opposing team (Curran, 2018). In this way, Andres Iniesta creates a special type of tactics for the midfielder, capable of developing the team’s attack from far away positions, which is inherent to his unique style of playing.
The special features of the movement and passing of the famous Spanish soccer player had a significant impact on the game of soccer and other players. For example, Iniesta’s colleague, Jamie Carragher (2018), notes his technique of evading opponents even in the most challenging situations, the ability to get in the right position, and plan a pass and to dictate his tactics. His game both gives an example for many players, especially midfielders, and makes team captains and coaches rebuild their strategy.
Current Social Perception and Legacy
Andres Iniesta is a legendary player both for members of the sports community and the general public. Soccer analysts stated that he “was of vital importance to FC Barcelona in winning the Spanish domestic championship and cup during the 2017/2018 season” (Bransen, Van Haaren, & van de Velden, 2019, p. 110). Thus, even at the age of over thirty, he is a professional player who has a severe impact on the game. Soccer professionals have noted his brilliant passing and movement, as, for example, Jamie Carragher mentioned above (Iniesta, 2016). Andres Iniesta has a considerable fan base, which is grateful to him for his achievements in the FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. In addition, his skills and technique are recognized around the globe, and therefore he has fans from every corner of the world.
It should be emphasized that most of Iniesta’s contribution to the soccer industry and culture was made during his membership in FC Barcelona. It is expected that he has to be remembered for his victories in national championships and leagues, and for the victories of Spain in European Championships and the final goal in the 2010 World Cup. However, some analysts note Iniesta’s success in the Japanese club Vissel Kobe (Curran, 2018). Thus, perhaps the famous player will add more to the list of achievements included in his legacy.
Conclusion
Andres Iniesta is a legendary player who has contributed to many victories of FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. He has a unique style of playing, which is characterized by masterful possession of space, skillful passing and effective attack of the opponent’s defensive lines, which had a significant impact on the game of soccer. Iniesta is recognized as a great soccer player both by representatives of the sports community and the general public and has many awards and trophies.
References
Bransen, L., Van Haaren, J., & van de Velden, M. (2019). Measuring soccer players’ contributions to chance creation by valuing their passes. Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 15(2), 97-116.
Carragher, J. (2018). Andres Iniesta has transformed football – watching him is pure pleasure. The Telegraph. Web.
Curran, J. (2018). Andres Iniesta: Vissel Kobe’s Galatico. Total Football Analysis Magazine. Web.
Iniesta, A. (2016). The artist: Being Iniesta. London, England: Headline Publishing Group.