Barcelona have confirmed that club captain and Camp Nou living legend Andres Iniesta has agreed a new ‘contract for life’, committing himself to the club for the remainder of his career.
Iniesta’s existing contract had been due to expire at the end of the current season, leading to speculation that he could wind down his career elsewhere.
The likes of Juventus and Inter Milan were rumoured as possible destinations, but the 33-year-old has come to an agreement with Barça instead.
Iniesta, a player noted for his shyness when he first arrived at Barça’s famed La Masia academy in 1996, was handed a first-team debut by Louis van Gaal during the 2002/03 campaign.
He was playing regularly by the time of the 2004/05 season and went on to win the first of eight La Liga titles to date that year. The following season, Iniesta was a Champions League winner for the first time – he has now has four in his enormous medal collection.
On the international stage, Iniesta made his debut for Spain in 2006 and was later a member of the all-conquering squad that won Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 either side of the 2010 World Cup.