It has now been more than five and a half years since Andrés Iniesta left FC Barcelona, but the 39-year-old has still not ended his career. The Spaniard has now achieved an impressive milestone at the Emirates Club in the United Arab Emirates. In the 0:2 (0:1) against Ajman Club on Friday evening, he played his 1000th game at professional level.
Iniesta appeared on the field 869 times for his three professional clubs FC Barcelona, Vissel Kobe and the Emirates Club. There were a further 131 games between 2006 and 2018 for the Spanish national team, with whom he became world champion in 2010 and European champion in 2008 and 2012. In total, the midfield strategist scored 104 goals and 192 assists.
In a post on his social media channels, Iniesta stated that “reaching this number is very special for me. When I played on the pitches of Fuentealbilla or in Albacete, my dream was to become a footballer, but I never imagined that I would be able to enjoy such a long and wonderful career.”
It is currently unclear when Iniesta will hang up his shoes. His contract ends in the summer, but includes an option to extend it for another season. It will be less likely that the Emirates Club will continue its career in the event of relegation. After 14 games, the promoted team is in last place in the UAE Pro League with five points (table).
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