Andres Iniesta names his Dream 5-a-side Teammates

What's the story?

Andres Iniesta has named his Dream 5-a-side team. Alongside him in midfield, Iniesta named who he considers the best goalkeeper, the best defender, the best midfielder and the best forward.

Peter Schmeichel, Paolo Maldini, Michael Laudrup and Ronaldo Nazario made Iniesta's lineup, which did not include the likes of Leo Messi, Xavi, Carles Puyol and Ronaldinho.

In case you didn't know...

Andres Iniesta sat down with the FC Barcelona media team after signing his new contract, which guarantees his stay with the Catalan club until he decides to retire from football

The heart of the matter

Iniesta justified his choice for each position, with the Spaniard keen on explaining why he considers these 4 players his Top 4 legends.

Peter Schmeichel, Goalkeeper

Iniesta: "I think he’s one of the all-time great goalkeepers. When I was younger he always attracted my attention as a goalkeeper because of his saves, because of his strength, because of everything in general and he’s one of the great keepers that I would have liked to play with."

Paolo Maldini, Defender

Iniesta: "Because of everything he stood for as a player for his national team and the club he was with throughout his career. Because of the titles he won and because of the way he went about doing things."

Michael Laudrup, Midfielder

Iniesta: “He was one of my idols and it would have been incredible to play with him, even though it probably would have been just for a short time. He was my idol because of his playing style, because of his way of doing things, his style and his class.”

Ronaldo Nazario de Lima, Forward

Iniesta: "I considered him one of the best players in the world, and one of the best forwards in the world. In 1996, which was the year he played for Barca, was also the year I arrived at the club. So, he made a great impression on me that year, a year he also made a great impression on everybody. He went on to win so many things and he was the difference-maker on every team he played for."

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Author's Take:

Most of the players Iniesta has named were at the peak of their powers in the 90s, which perhaps reveals that he's named his childhood idols instead of his peers. It would explain the absence of the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Ronaldinho in this list.