Andres Iniesta has responded to a quote from legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in a recent interview.
The iconic Barcelona midfielder is one of the greatest midfielders of all time, and has picked apart Manchester United alongside Lionel Messi multiple times in the past.
Iniesta, 41, retired from professional football in 2024 after an illustrious career that saw the Spaniard win it all for club and country.
Andres Iniesta of FC Barcelona looks on during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad
Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images
Greatness usually recognises greatness – and that’s apparent in the case of Sir Alex Ferguson and Andres Iniesta.
Andres Iniesta read Sir Alex Ferguson’s Champions League Final quote
Speaking in a recent interview with The New York Times, Iniesta was asked about his career, accolades and football idols, among other things.
The interview concluded with the journalist, Laia Cervelló, reading Andres a quote from Sir Alex in a news conference before the 2009 Champions League final.
It said: “I’m not obsessed with Messi; Iniesta is the danger. He’s fantastic. He makes the team work.
“The way he finds passes, his movement and ability to create space is incredible. He’s so important for Barcelona.”
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How did Andres Iniesta respond to the Sir Alex Ferguson quote?
The interviewer claims that Iniesta smiled and responded with the four-word message: “I’ve loved playing football.”
For a manager as legendary as United figure Sir Alex to issue a compliment – not just comparing, but bettering you to the great Messi – must be a sensational compliment to receive, and it’s no surprise Iniesta responded how he did.
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In total, Iniesta played four times against Manchester United, winning twice, drawing once and losing just once. He also assisted twice.
Matches vs Manchester United Wins Draws Losses Assists
4 2 1 1 2
Best of all for the Spaniard, two of the victories came in Champions League finals, with Barcelona notoriously the side to get the better of Ferguson’s men.