Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta reckons that the way Jose Mourinho guided the Real Madrid squad during his spell as head coach there for duration of 3 years, it was not good for Spanish Football because he developed hatred in the minds of the Madrid players for their arch rivals Barcelona.

According to Iniesta, the matches between Madrid and Barcelona are always intense because the two teams have been the arch rivals for a long time, but that doesn’t need to lead to hatred. Rivalry is one thing and hatred is a completely different thing. What used to happen in the clasicos during Mourinho’s stint was not just rivalry, it was something else and it’s not that only Barcelona players felt it, even some of the Real Madrid players would have felt that it was obnoxious and it had its direct effects on the development of the national squad.

Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal has backed Ousmane Dembele to have a fantastic future ahead with the Catalan giants despite experiencing a mixed start to the campaign. The Frenchman’s future has been a topic of question over the past few weeks and he managed to provide the perfect response over the weekend by scoring a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid.
Speaking in a press conference, Vidal highlighted that Dembele remains a very important player for the Spanish champions and the Frenchman only needs more affection from the club’s faithful, he said: “Ousmane needs love. He's a very important player for us, he's scored some big goals and he's going to be important for some time to come.”

Meanwhile, manager Ernesto Valverde backed the thoughts of Vidal but suggesting the weekend’s goal was hugely influential and he has the confidence that Dembele will continue playing with the same consistency for the Blaugrana, he told: “It was very important. It was a goal that kept us from possibly losing the match. I have confidence that Ousmane Dembele will continue to give his best when he's out there on the field.”

Barcelona attacker Philippe Coutinho has highlighted that Andres Iniesta was a genius and he cannot be compared with the club legend, who has won every silverware within his reach. The Brazil international has adapted splendidly since joining from Liverpool during the January transfer window but he does not want to be compared with the superlative talents of Iniesta.

Speaking to Diario AS, Coutinho indicated that he does not like the ongoing comparison with Iniesta, who made 674 appearances for the Catalan giants before joining Vissel Kobe during the summer. He added that he would like to make his own impression with the Spanish champions and he needs to work hard on every aspect of his game.

There is a saying that one cannot teach old dogs new tricks. There is also a saying that there is always an exception present that proves any a given rule. The switch of Andrés Iniesta to Japan and his transformed into Lionel Messi has seems relevant to above mentioned comments.

Iniesta is the former legend of Barcelona. He left the only club had known till this summer to join the team of Japanese Vissel Kobe, which is famous for having an attacking end. However, his performance on the ground has not been the same as his dribbles, movement and passes that have consistently been going on over the years. At the present time, Iniesta has probably curiously failed to make the number of goals that one might predict from a good and advanced midfielder who is playing for one of the most successful attacking team in history.

Former Barcelona midfield maestro made his first start in the J-League on Saturday, helping his side Vissel Kobe to victory. It could have been a more memorable first start from the World Cup and Champions League winner had his effort gone in. He had a good opportunity 15 minutes into the game. He was around the edge of the box but he couldn’t quite get his shot on target.

He had started the last game from the bench and could not do anything to stop the team from losing 3-0 to ShonanBellmare. Against Kashiwa this time, Iniesta showed his superior abilities despite being 34 already.

Erstwhile Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado eyes an “interesting” adventure in his breath-taking role as part-owner of Gibraltar United F.C. that play in the Gibraltar Football League’s Premier Division.

Salgado, a former Spain international and his Swiss-Italian Business partner Pablo Dana have since taken over the affairs of the team, who are currently placed seventh in the 10-team Gibraltar Premier League standings.

Barcelona are close to securing the long-term contracts of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta, that is according to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

The future of both Barcelona legends have been in doubt over the last few months but the pair look to be close to putting pen to paper.

Andres Iniesta is one of the iconic figures of Barcelona of the past decade as the Spanish midfielder joined the youth academy of the club at a very young age and from there on out, he has been marking his name as one of the finest footballers in the sport.

Even at the age of 33, Iniesta is regarded as a top performer who can get past players who are much younger.

Recently, there have been talks concerning the future of Andresiniesta as the veteran midfielder has a contract in Camp Nou which extends until June of 2018 and supporters of the club as well as the president himself want to see Iniesta signing a new contract extension but the talented midfielder appears to be delaying a renewal of his deal.

Barcelona’s bubbling PR machine is currently in overdrive, and their latest effort to pull fans back on their side has been to hand Andres Iniesta a contract for life at the club.

Rather than an a PR move or empty gesture however, Barça must make good on their statement of intent regarding Iniesta. His legacy at the club must be cemented, by making sure that his image is intact for future generations coming through.

Barcelona skipper Andres Iniesta had to comment on the popular issue at hand as he was constantly in the line of questioning over the future of teammates Neymar Jr.

The Spaniard said that only the Brazilian can address the issue head on.

“We would like you to not keep asking so much, but to end this, there is only one way: Neymar will speak. Neymar will give his explanations. We have to support him with the decision he makes.”