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As the curtain draws on one of the most beautiful footballing careers, of one of the most beautiful human beings in the world game, we can't help but wonder if Andres Iniesta could've maybe stayed at his spiritual home for another season. Or two.
The World Cup winner recently announced that he will be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season after 23 unbelievably successful years with one of the biggest clubs on the planet. The Spaniard departs with numerous titles under his belt and is widely regarded as one of the finest players of all time.
This begs the question, did Andres make the decision to leave a season too early? Here are 5 reasons why:
#5 Unparalleled experience in the current squad
The midfield maestro is one of the best midfielders in world football, but he is, undoubtedly, also one of the most experienced. As much as his age is a factor in him leaving the club, we can't help but wonder if that specific factor could be used as an advantage in the argument we're trying to make.
He has seen it all and conquered every bit of it. Need numbers?
4 x CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNER
9 x SPANISH CHAMPION
6 x SPANISH CUP WINNER
3 x FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP WINNER
7 x SPANISH SUPER CUP WINNER
3 x UEFA SUPERCUP WINNER
1 x UEFA BEST PLAYER IN EUROPE
To say nothing of his exploits with the national team. How will Barcelona manage to fill the void, in terms of experience, left by him once the legendary midfielder does leave the club?
Let's look at the specifics, Iniesta is the only player at Barcelona who has been at the club for over a decade and a ha. With veterans like Puyol, Xavi and Valdez all moving on or retiring, this put Iniesta in pole position to be the leader of the side.
After his departure, the 3 most senior players in the squad will be Messi (14 seasons), Pique and Busquets (10 seasons each).
#4 Lack of quality in the Barcelona midfield
Barcelona have built their reputation, at least in the recent past, on the fact that they always have one of the most domineering midfields in world football. When you look at some of the names that have donned the red and blue for The Blaugrana you can't help but question the depth and quality of the current midfield.
No doubting that Sergio Busquets is a class act. Even Ivan Rakitic has managed to adapt wonderfully to the challenges at the club where he was never going to be the best ball-playing midfielder. So after a dismal second season, after a honeymoon first which ended in a treble, the Croat has adapted his style of play to suit the ball-winning needs of his side.
Everything, offensively, though flows through the twinkling feet of Andres Iniesta and we're worried about where the creative spark or the artistic vision is going to come from when the Spaniard leaves next season.
#3 Coutinho is only just settling into life in Spain
One of the biggest transfer sagas of this season ended with the Brazilian getting his dream move to the Camp Nou. Philipe Coutinho is undeniably one of the most talented prospects in world football at the moment, so it came as no surprise that Barcelona paid the big bucks they did to land their man.
Coutinho has proved his worth with Liverpool, but Barcelona is a different beast altogether. Many heralded players have failed to make their mark after a move to the Catalan side, Cesc Fabregas the most glaring example. A former teammate of Fabregas at Arsenal, Alex Song, experienced a similar fate in his time in Catalonia. So has Arda Turan. So the Brazilian's success at the cub is far from a done deal.
Only time will tell if the Brazilian is up to the task and having Iniesta around till that time arrived would've served the Catalans well. Only six months before he gets thrust into the spotlight that has been firmly fixed on Iniesta for decades? Doesn't seem like the best route for Barcelona, does it?
#2 The new entrants have failed to make any particular impact
Barcelona had an incomprehensibly successful squad but age catches up with the best of them.
Barcelona have tried their best to replace their outgoing players with some of the best quality but they still haven't really managed to replace Xavi, have they? And now they're faced with the mammoth task of replacing Andres Iniesta.
The players that have come into the side, or even those that have been there for that matter, have failed to fill the shoes of the legends who'd come before them. Andre Gomes, Lucas Digne, Dennis Suarez, Alex Vidal or even Osmane Dembele for good measure, are all players who can play in a variety of positions across the pitch but can any of them really fill the void left by Iniesta? Are they good enough? Is anybody?
Barcelona have also moved away from their La Masia philosophy which has served them so well down the years. How do you think Andres came about in the first place? When youngsters from the lower rungs are overlooked repeatedly or not given the guidance or the experience they need, they'll inevitably move on to greener pastures, or worse fail to step up to the next stage.
How do you counter that? HOLD ON TO ANDRES INIESTA!
#1 Age is just a number
The maestro, Andres Iniesta has been on the top of the game ever since he first walked onto the pitch for F.C. Barcelona. The Spaniard is true royalty in the world of football.
There is nothing the legend has not won. You name it. He's got it. The League title, the League Cup, the Champions' League and the Euros, all multiple times over. And of course the big one, the World Cup. He has narrowly missed out on the Ballon d'Or on two separate occasions, owing to the bias towards goal-scorers in the voting process.
If there was an award for the best midfielder every season, there's little doubt that the Catalan would've had a separate cabinet for individual trophies won over his career. Far from finished, he's still the focal point of the Barcelona attack.
A separate article or two might need to be written on his style of play and the effortless nature in which he conducts himself on the pitch. No matter which ground he plays on, a standing ovation is all but certain for the 'genius'. A word we don't use lightly.
Owing to his style of play, the unbelievable ease with which he operates, no need to run or tackle, no need to get worked up. Just keep calm. And play ball. And that this lad has done forever and, we reckon, can forever.
What we're basically enquiring, of Barcelona, of ourselves, is: "Is Andres Iniesta no longer good enough for Barcelona?"
If you think differently, we urge you to give us names of five creative midfielders who are decidedly better than the Spaniard. Give us three, or even one. In fact we dare you.
