Andres Iniesta names the three Barcelona players he would sign as a coach | OneFootball

Andres Iniesta, a modern-day great, has announced his retirement from professional football. The Spanish midfield magician is one of the greatest ever players of his generation and was a part of one of the best FC Barcelona teams in history.

Iniesta has had a glorious career and understandably, tributes have flown in for him from all directions. His long-time teammate and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi sent a heartfelt message to him after the Spaniard announced his retirement.

Andres Iniesta has made no secret of his desire to reconnect with Barcelona in some capacity. As per SPORT, the 40-year-old Spaniard hinted at moving into coaching after earning his license and this prompted a question.

Iniesta was asked to name three current Barcelona players he would love to sign as a coach and here is what he had to say: “I would sign Pedri, Ter Stegen, and Ansu Fati.”

The response from Iniesta came as quite a surprise, especially considering he did not mention the name that is on everyone’s lips at the moment – Lamine Yamal. Instead, the Spaniard decided to go with Ansu Fati.

Pedri is the least surprising of the three names on the list. The Canary Islands midfielder is as close as it gets to Iniesta in terms of playing style and has a similar influence to that of the 40-year-old, back in his glory days.

By mentioning Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, a former teammate from his playing days at Camp Nou, Iniesta highlights the importance he places on having a ball-playing goalkeeper. The German, currently sidelined due to injury, would have been delighted to hear this.

Ansu Fati’s inclusion comes as a surprise, given the Spanish youngster has endured a difficult few seasons in football. Once hailed with the same promise as Lamine Yamal is today, the 21-year-old has faced a string of injuries and continues to struggle to regain his best form.

This endorsement from Iniesta should serve as a confidence-boosting shot for Fati, for whom, the talent has never been in question. He had a spirited cameo against Alaves in the weekend and Barcelona will hope for him to build on it and be of significance to Hansi Flick when club football returns in two weeks.