- Andres Iniesta will quit Barcelona at the end of this season after 16 years at the club
- He will be joining a Chinese Super League side to continue his football career in Asia
- Meanwhile he has revealed that former Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal remains his best coach of all time despite his achievements un Pep Guardiola
Outgoing Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta has branded former Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal as his best manager at the Camp Nou.
The 34-year-old will end his love affair with the Catalan club at the end of this season after spending close to two decades with the club’s senior team after joining them in early 2000s.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Spaniard didn’t mince words when he said: "my most important manager" was van Gaal.
The answer seem surprising to many considering the fact that he enjoined his greatest success as a midfielder under Pep Guardiola, but it was the Dutch tactician that handed him professional debut back in 2002.
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And that cannot forgotten anytime soon by the midfielder who is heading to China according to reports in Spain at the end of this season.
When asked about his thoughts on Guardiola, Iniesta said the current Manchester City boss is: "A master for me."
Going further, he said that Frank Rijkaard, who gave him the chance to win his first Champions League title, was "the ideal coach for that period of my life." While he described Tito Vilanova as an "exceptional manager and person."
Iniesta also labelled Luis Enrique "a friend" and Ernesto Valverde "wise".
When asked about his current Spanish head coach, he insisted that Luis Aragones was a "professor" and Vicente Del Bosque is "exemplary."
Meanwhile, he was also asked to describe some of his current and former team-mates.
He simply labelled his former inspirational skipper Carles Puyol "the captain", while he claimed Lionel Messi is "unique".
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He insists Xavi is a "reference" for him and described Ronaldinho as "magical."
Iniesta claimed his last-gasp equaliser at Stamford Bridge in the 2009 Champions League semi-final was his "most magical day at Barca" — and the 2010 World Cup final his greatest moment for Spain.
He won four Champions League titles, eight La Liga’s, six Copa Del Rey and seven Supercopa de Espana titles in his 16-year reign at the Camp Nou.
The 34-year-old also clinched three UEFA Super Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cup titles with 57 goals from 669 appearances in all competitions for the club. The attacker had 125 caps for the Spanish national team and will be representing his country for the last time at the World Cup this summer.
He won the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 - on top of four Champions Leagues and eight La Liga titles - set to be nine - and multiple other trophies for Barcelona.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that Iniesta will leave the Catalan club at the end of this season to join Chinese Super League side Chongqing Dangdai Lifan this summer.
The Spanish national team midfielder was also impressive in his side's title triumph in the La Liga this season.
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Source: Naija.ng
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