Letter of Xavi to Iniesta: "And they said that we could not play together..."

Sincere, felt and very moving the extensive letter that has written Xavi Hernández to Andrés Iniesta, with the aim of homenajearle in the day of his definite farewell of the FC Barcelona. The one of Terrassa, that already thrilled visibly the past Friday during the official act made by the club on the lawn of the Camp Nou, witnessed this Sunday the Barça-Real Sociedad from the terracing and devoted some beautiful words to Iniesta.

"Still I remember the first time that saw to play to Andrés. I was in the juvenile: he, in the childish. Somebody of the club says me: 'Xavi, down there is a boy that goes to be the hostia. They say that it is very good!' They are he and another, Troiteiro, that comes to be as Mario Pink. Andrés seems a lot to you'. But when I saw him play, said me to me same: "What goes! This does not resemble me as they say! What goes! This is different!' East has more exit, more dribbling, can go to a band, is able to do a croquette. It is very different to me because I game of four, much more positional, as Pep in his period or Busi now. Andrés, instead, could play of 'four', of 'eight', of 'six' and until of extreme", begins the letter of Xavi.

"Already of boy saw him one paints of teacher by the way in that it used the body before receiving the balloon, using the two legs to play. Now it can seem until normal, but in this period was revolutionary because he the same did a control oriented with the right leg that to the played following executed it with the left. What more surprised was this so his style to orient the balloon with the body, without need at least to touch it", remarks the one of Terrassa on what called him the attention, at first sight, of Andrés.

"Andrés has a spectacular talent. If we speak of the person, is a scandal"

"You saw it play and was a show. What thought was, he did it in thefield . It seemed that until it listened your thoughts. Afterwards it did it with so much naturalidad that gave the feeling that neither thought it. Andrés associated well, played always with the head raised, did not lose balls. Or it was, concepts that we carried years working with Joan Vilà and that he carried put in his body from origin".

"'Fuck, is four lower years that we, but this boy carries it innate'. Andrés is, for me, the player with more talent of the history of Spain, that I have seen, eh?. Has a spectacular talent. If we speak of the person, is a scandal. An admirable uncle in all the senses. Copy, altruistic, empathic, player of team, winner, leader in the field, always wants the balloon", continues Xavi with his moving letter.

"It knows the people what means this? When many do not want the ball neither in painting because it is an encerrona, he always asks it. Andrés always wants it. When other players think "ay, ay, ay" or "no, no give it to me, please, now no", Andrés came and said: "it Avenges, give it to me. Give it to me already, please. It is a blessing for the other. This is to have personality, this is to be a leader for real. Silent leader, but authentic leader. I, that all my life have been a pasador, needed players like Andrés, as Leo, like Busi", follows the extensive letter of Xavi.

"You have been the best partners that have had never. They gave you always the suitable exit by very bad that was the panorama. I do not know by where, but Andrés always appeared me in the just moment. 'Look me, am here!' But no it said it to me speaking. Neither we have been to speak a lot in the field and this that have played together more than 10 years. It did not do fault. We understood us with the look. His corporal language was the best way to communicate . Also it is truth that Andrés has gone out of the purely academic", continues.

"It has won all, has played incredible, is respected by all and admired by the world"

"Sometimes, during the parties remained us looking him. 'But which demons has done? How it has escaped ? If it was impossible!' It gave the feeling that there were not impossible things for him when it connected with the balloon. Dribbling, last pass, acceleration, wall, disequilibrium, is happy playing inside, is happy hit to the band. It is a teacher, a true teacher".

"Besides, the people thought that Andrés was not strong. 'That if you were little thing! 'That if you were endeble! Endeble?' Neither much less. When it puts the body, do not remove him the balloon. It is strong, but strong for real. It looks the quantity of parties that has played in his career. It has been exemplary until in this. At the end, the mentality is the key of everything. And he has been very strong in everything, especially in these bad moments that many do not know. It had a bad time for living far of his family and now sure that if they ask him will say that the sacrifice was worth it. But, who knew that this would finish like this? Who went it to you to guarantee? Anybody. It is so difficult, so hard, so complicated, so long".

"The most normal is not arriving. But this so strong mentality that has is the one who has done to arrive until aquí.al final, Andrés is an uncle that has angel. You do not ask after me what, but he has it. It is like Iker Boxes. The rest do not have it; they, yes. Have angel because in the just moment take you out of the basket the winning pass, the winning stop, the winning balloon, the winning goal. We have lived it with Andrés in the Barça, in the selection. In Stamford Bridge, in Johannesburg, until in this final of childish in the Camp Nou, when I was to see it with Pep, both were in the first team, marking the goal of gold in that party. It looks what happened in the World-wide. If somebody has time and win that it look the party against Holland. No, I do not speak only of the goal. If they review the final will darse of what did really".

"Iniesta always has put to the team by in front of the individuality, something that is not at all easy"

"But why it marked Andrés the goal? Because it had to mark it he. It could not be another. Who could be? Somebody with angel. Or it was, Andrés. A person honoured, a currante for real.And remember now that said that we could not play together... Already it knows , machine. This is the Barça! A full club of debates. To me it knew me badly by him because I always said that I need to my side to people that associate . I understand me better with the ones of technical quality, that no with the physicists. Claro that these strong players are important, but looks to Andrés, Leo and Busi. They fucked me these debates in which it said that the Barça needed muscle. But what are saying me!".

"The most important muscle to play to football is the brain, as it already said Cruyff. It is the most important and valuable. It is truth that the two suffer it in silence. Both are very quiet. Therefore, have a lot of tuning with Andrés. I am like him. I prefer callar and impose me where have to, in the field: 'Voucher, come three new players, as perfect goes Me fuckin' eh! I go to compete with these three although they have cost 250 million pesetas! I go to show that I can be footballer of the Barça!' That is the mentality that had in his day Andrés or the one of Busi, for example, with Yaya Touré. The one who does not think like this, goes to rack and ruin. There are two options: rebel you as we did we or fall in the desánimo thinking in that you will not go out of this".

And it continues Xavi Hernández with another anecdote: "Memory, for example, what happened him just before the World-wide of South Africa. We were a day training in the sportive city when, suddenly, hear to Puyol shout: 'Nooooooooooo!' I did not know what had happened, but when turning me, see him going out of the field shattered, crying, knocked down. It did not go out of an injury and arrived another. There were doubts even that it arrived to the World-wide, but finish it surpassing thanks to this so strong mentality. I do not forget that talk in the changing room of Monaco, after the final of the Supercopa that win with the goal of Pedro. 'Andrés, uncle, need you. Here you are very important. Very, very, very. It can not be that you follow like this, Andrés".

"The Barça can not allow that you are not playing, uncle. We need you for real. It is that you are different. When you are not machine, costs us the double. Believe it to you Andrés, please, believe it to you because we believe it like this. We need you!' It looks that I am not to open me a lot, but all saw that Andrés was in a species of existential crisis, in those months where coincided him all the bad things.But he, with the help of his family, gave him the turn to everything thanks to this incredible mentality. Sometimes, have the feeling that it can not explain with words what is Andrés like player. It does it all so easy that think that all can do it. Lie! Anybody can do it like him".

Andrés Iniesta, the magician that transformed to the Barça

"In the field, transforms . Here it appears his true personality. It is his natural habitat. It is a vicious of the balloon. If it does not touch it, it is not happy. I do not remember a big party in which it have not appeared. I do not remember it because it does not exist. Andrés always is. Besides, never I have seen you raise the voice. Never. When it has complained it did it with respect, with arguments, but without screaming neither shout. Until in this is an example. Always it has put to the team by in front of the individuality, something that is not at all easy because all have our ego".

And it finishes Xavi Hernández with the memory of the Champions League of 2006, in which Iniesta was key. "Still I remember the Champions of the 2006 when I broke me the crusader and he assumed all the responsibility. It played of half centre, himself, of half centre! In Lisbon and Milan. Small show gave here! We arrive to the final of Paris and Rijkaard does not put him to title. When me whole, say him to Puyi: 'it does not play, Andrés, nano? It does not play, it does not play. But how it is that it does not play?' Then, Puyi answers me: 'I do not know, I do not know'. In reality, anybody knew it neither neither understood it because it came to do authentic partidazos in Lisbon and Milan. When he appeared in the second part, everything changed. It put in order the things. To his way, clear".

"Calladito, without saying at all, but, beside Larsson and Samuel, changed the final. Sure that inside it carried a get angry of noses, but the first that did was to think in the group and in the team. That get angry helped him to be still much better. Another would have thrown the boots in the changing room or would have reacted badly. He, no. With his style, without saying neither a word, but showing in the field that had made a mistake with him. That is Andrés. Now that am half out of the football of elite darse of the what has been, of what is and of what represents. When it go out of the Barça, will understand what say. It has won all, has played incredible, is respected by all and admired by the world. It goes out as it deserves , it is an example because it never had a bad word, a bad gesture, a bad expensive. It looks how they want it in all places. Soon you will know what have done for real, machine", concludes Xavi.