As Barcelona gear up to face Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League, club legend Andres Iniesta has taken a moment to revisit one of the most iconic goals of his career.
The 92nd-minute strike at Stamford Bridge during the second leg of the 2009 Champions League semi-final famously sent Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona to the final, where they would go on to defeat Manchester United 2-0.
Reflecting on that unforgettable moment in an interview with SPORT, Iniesta said, “It seems like yesterday, 16 years ago, but the memories are real. It’s impossible not to remember it.
“Every time you see or think about the goal, you get emotional because of the goal and everything that happened after it. It was crazy.”
Remembering the goal
The former midfielder vividly recalls not just the right-footed strike that beat Petr Cech but the broader significance of the goal for both him and the club.
Iniesta elaborated on the weight of the moment, noting, “It was hugely important, and I don’t limit that to just that moment because a lot had to happen.
“If we talk only about that moment, it’s incredible. On a personal level, I was the happiest man in the world.
Andres Iniesta scored the winning goal against Chelsea. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
“And then, we ended up winning the Champions League and the treble. It was a time to cry almost every day.”
Anecdote with Bojan
He also shared a light-hearted anecdote involving former teammate Bojan Krkic, now part of Barcelona’s sporting management alongside Deco, about securing tickets for the final.
Iniesta recalled, “I remember we talked before and I told him [Bojan] I was going to score and he was going to have to give me the two tickets or whatever it was, I don’t remember the number.
“He was the first or second to arrive at the huddle, and I remember telling him that at that moment. It was crazy.”
The goal itself tied the score at 1-1, allowing Barcelona to qualify for the final thanks to the now-defunct away goal rule.
Those weeks marked a period of sheer dominance for Pep Guardiola’s side because just days earlier, Barcelona had thrashed Real Madrid 6-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu, and a week later, they lifted the Copa del Rey by defeating Athletic Club.