Barcelona maestro talks about his potential successor and next job at the club

Club Legend says “There will be no other Iniesta as there will be no other player like another. My idols were Guardiola and Laudrup but I didn’t become like them.”

Andres Iniesta was a Barcelona player for 22 years before joining J-League side Vissel Kobe in the summer of 2018. He is regarded as one of the best midfielders to ever play the game. Being one of the marquee players in the Guardiola Era he saw the club legend not only win the Treble domestically but also win the UEFA Euro in 2008 and FIFA World Cup in 2010.

The maestro in a recent interview with Marca talks about Barcelona’s midfield without Xavi – Iniesta in the core, and the role of the two additions in de Jong and Arthur to the squad.

"“I find two exceptional players, with a lot of weight on the field. The game idea, they have. They control the time, the ball, the situation … Surely they have great ancestry within the team.”"

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Iniesta is however worried about how the Barca midfield engine, with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Arthuro Vidal,  will function with everyone in the middle of the pitch

The Croatian international Ivan Rakitic struggles to claim a spot in the fully stocked Barca midfield and is likely to be transferred out in the upcoming transfer window. However, Iniesta says Barcelona should not allow Ivan Rakitic to leave, as when asked if he will let him go, the Spaniard said:

"“I will not. I personally consider him a great player. What he has been doing all this time has been magnificent. This year he is not having the prominence he had before but that does not mean that he isn’t a great player.”"

Barcelona continues to look for the next Iniesta with De Jong covering the role of former captain Xavi in the midfield. When asked about who can potentially be the next Iniesta, the club and country legend quite humbly stated

"“There will be no other Iniesta as there will be no other player like another. My idols were Guardiola and Laudrup but I didn’t become like them. I made my way and I am who I am."

Iniesta firmly believes that every player is unique and they should remain true to themselves and players with those characteristics will mark their story.  The important thing is that everyone has the ability to stand out in the sport.

After Xavi recently took charge of coaching Qatar side Al Sadd, questions arose whether Iniesta would be interesting in going down the same route to which the Spanish star admitted that he is keen on becoming a coach at the end of his playing career.

"“I have not looked into it much but yes I can tell you that I would like to be a coach,”"

Iniesta is currently focused on his playing days with Vissel Kobe as he tries to keep the illusion and desire to remain a player as long as possible but is also open to the idea of coaching one day as he believes that he will enjoy his attempt at it.

Iniesta has played with many esteemed coaches, such as Frank Rijkaard, Louis van Gaal, Pep Guardiola, Vicente del Bosque and many more, who have left their mark on him.

"“Football is always changing and you have to adapt to all situations. All the Coaches I had at Barça were influenced by the same employer. They wanted to dominate, combine, play out from behind, seek superiority…those are the things that I have lived with and I would follow down that path.”"

For the time being, fans around the world are lucky to witness the maestros’ last remaining days as a player with the J-League side Vissel Kobe.

Who do you think will be the next iconic midfield pair of Xavi – Iniesta in Barcelona?