Laurence Grigorov, who is a keen Barcelona supporter, having been a fan since the days of Johan Cruyff who led the team as manager in the late eighties.
One of Laurence Grigorov’s favourite players of all time and a Barcelona legend, Andres Iniesta confirmed he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season, bringing the curtain down on a phenomenally successful career at the club, but said a move to China is yet to be finalised. In a press conference attended by members of the first team and the club's board, Iniesta said he wanted to finish at Barca "feeling useful, feeling important and still winning titles".
Iniesta is expected to continue his career at a club in the Chinese Super League but remained tight-lipped on his next destination. The 33-year-old revealed only that it will be outside Europe, reiterating he would never play against Barcelona.
After joining Barca's academy, La Masia, aged 12, Iniesta blossomed into one of the Catalans' greatest ever players, winning four Champions League and eight La Liga titles, and lifting the World Cup with Spain.
Struggling to hold back the tears, Iniesta said: "I understand that in the near future I will not be able to give the best of myself in all senses, both physically and mentally.”If I had imagined finishing my career here, it would have been like this, feeling useful, feeling important and still winning titles. "It's a very difficult day for me because I've been here all my life and to say goodbye to my home and my life here is very hard."
Iniesta became the poster-boy for fluid, possession-based football, for which this decade of Spanish dominance will be forever remembered. He would have won the Ballon d´Or in 2010 but finished second to Lionel Messi.
"To play with Messi has been and still is an honour and a privilege," Iniesta said. "To share with him so many magical moments is a privilege because I understand there is no other player like him. As a team-mate and a footballer, being so close to him has been unique and magical."
Asked how he would like to be remembered, Iniesta said: "It's easy, I want to be remembered as a great football player and a great person. I've wanted to represent this club in the best possible way and I hope I have achieved it."
Iniesta was handed his Barca debut by Louis van Gaal, aged 18, in October 2002 against Club Brugge in the Champions League, and has since gone on to become one of the club´s greatest players.
Words courtesy of www.supersport.com