Andrés Iniesta - Life in Japan

[Asura]

5 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Don't think so. His name was Mehdi or something. 

I remember when Chucho benitez died, and he made a joke in the FIFA section that he signed him in his career mode shortly before he died. To which @Stan called him hilarious. 

 

I remember everything. 

 

Just now, Cannabis said:

That was BlaugranaBrandan.

yeah he was Brandan, my bad I got confused between two different guys. I remember that Iniesta playing for free post, except I thought that was Brandan who said that. 

[SirBalon]

I would say that comment on playing for free would’ve been before my time in the former forum (2013) because not only would I have remembered it but I would’ve also said something about such a ridiculous statement. 

[Cicero]

4 minutes ago, Cannabis said:

I think me and Skarm (as he was known then) joined within about a week of each other and it was a post he made in the first few months of being on TFF.

Skarm. That who it was.

Think he later changed his username to Mehdi or something. 

[Stan]

1 hour ago, Cicero said:

Don't think so. His name was Mehdi or something. 

I remember when Chucho benitez died, and he made a joke in the FIFA section that he signed him in his career mode shortly before he died. To which @Stan called him hilarious. 

 

I remember everything. 

Sorry what? 

[Spike]

7 hours ago, Cicero said:

Here's me thinking only Fusion and I understood this 'inside joke'. 

 

Beat me to the punch 

Those were the days. Wasn't he 13?

[SirBalon]

Heard last night the crazy offer Chinese football has put in front of Iniesta...  We're talking about €90m (£86m) a year with a guaranteed 3 year deal. 

[True Blue]

Think it is too early to go to China, but then again in club and national football he has done it all. Insane money that, but there were players that were smaller name brands and earned shit loads.

[Carnivore Chris]

8 minutes ago, True Blue said:

Think it is too early to go to China, but then again in club and national football he has done it all. Insane money that, but there were players that were smaller name brands and earned shit loads.

I agree mate, but then again I think it would be too early for him to go to China even when he's 50 as he#s too special to head off to such a league, even if he can't play 90 minutes in every game anymore.

I'd like to see him retire at the club like Puyol myself. Same can be said for Busquets and Messi.

[SirBalon]

19 minutes ago, True Blue said:

Think it is too early to go to China, but then again in club and national football he has done it all. Insane money that, but there were players that were smaller name brands and earned shit loads.

 

9 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

I agree mate, but then again I think it would be too early for him to go to China even when he's 50 as he#s too special to head off to such a league, even if he can't play 90 minutes in every game anymore.

I'd like to see him retire at the club like Puyol myself. Same can be said for Busquets and Messi.

From what I understand Iniesta doesn't want to be a bit part player but at the same time he's not asking for anything from the coach in reference to his importance to the team in the future.  Sources close to him have stated that he senses that his body can't take anymore at the level required at Barcelona and that this would affect how vital he is for the team plus the obligation a coach would feel in playing such a name.

Plus that amount of money is just perverse!

[Dr. Gonzo]

Yeah that's insane money, at the end of your career why wouldn't you take that? It's basically a paid retirement for him, as the standard of play is very poor and he is very good.

I've only been to Beijing in China though and if that smog is typical of the shite they are breathing throughout that country (which it can't be, but probably in the bigger cities it is) then I'd definitely have reservations about playing there. I used to smoke cigarettes and the air there felt waaaay worse than smoking a shitload. I got a nasty case of bronchitis after going to Beijing.

[Philippe Coutinho]

13 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Heard last night the crazy offer Chinese football has put in front of Iniesta...  We're talking about €90m (£86m) a year with a guaranteed 3 year deal. 

@SirBalon 

Mate, may I ask where you heard that number from?  Several other sources are saying it's €35m a year.

If it's your figure (wouldn't be surprised if it were true) that's #fuckyoumoney and you can't blame him for riding off into the sunset.

https://www.sport-english.com/en/news/barca/andres-iniesta-considering-moving-to-chinese-super-league-6628385

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, Philippe Coutinho said:

@SirBalon 

Mate, may I ask where you heard that number from?  Several other sources are saying it's €35m a year.

If it's your figure (wouldn't be surprised if it were true) that's #fuckyoumoney and you can't blame him for riding off into the sunset.

https://www.sport-english.com/en/news/barca/andres-iniesta-considering-moving-to-chinese-super-league-6628385

On Spanish radio station Ondacero during their night sports program called El Transistor which is presented by a famous Spanish sports journalist called José Ramón de la Morena who is probably the person who knows Iniesta best personally out of all of the people involved in the media.  Obviously it's all speculation because nobody's come out from either China or Iniesta's entourage to state this and neither would they.

[SirBalon]

Since this is the Iniesta thread, his performance yesterday made all the front pages of Spain's sports papers.  This is the one I liked best!

"LESSON IN CLASS"

[Spike]

I hope he doesn't move to China. He could offer so much to  a smaller European team.

[Danny]

Not that he needs the money though....why ruin a one club career with a move like this?

[SirBalon]

5 hours ago, Spike said:

I hope he doesn't move to China. He could offer so much to  a smaller European team.

Apart from the prestige of a name like Iniesta playing for a smaller club I don't think he could offer anything at all mate.  Or at least I'm not seeing it but if you've captured something beneficial then I'd like to know.  Let me just add that obviously the smaller club adjective can mean anything obviously.

[SirBalon]

2 hours ago, Danny said:

Not that he needs the money though....why ruin a one club career with a move like this?

He definitely doesn't need the money because apart from the fact he has been earning to level football wages he's been earning most of his career at a club like Barça, he is also an entrepreneur with his successful vineyards and wine... Have to add that he's known to be quite a bit of a philanthropist too with his fortune.

Where I'm going with this is that players reaching a certain age that as in his case where they have publicly quoted that any decision of that sort is based on the personal sensation that they no longer feel they can offer the "200% necessary to compete" at that level.  The general feeling coming from players when they make this sort of decision on going to somewhere like China is that they are in effect retiring and cashing in on something that isn't genuine competition in the football sense like we recognise in a more snobbish continent (in this sense where football is concerned) like Europe.

He has always said since years back that if he were ever to continue playing after Barcelona, that it would never have any possibilities that he could ever play a competitive game against Barça.  He has repeated this consistently over the years that he would find it impossible to play against Barcelona.

My problem (a personal opinion of mine) with professional footballers moving to somewhere like China comes from players in their primer or at an age where they still have a lot to offer at the top end moving for the singular reason of extreme money.  But I know and appreciate that this opinion of mine can be countered easily with a coherent argument to the contrary.

[Spike]

9 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Apart from the prestige of a name like Iniesta playing for a smaller club I don't think he could offer anything at all mate.  Or at least I'm not seeing it but if you've captured something beneficial then I'd like to know.  Let me just add that obviously the smaller club adjective can mean anything obviously.

So you think he is rubbish? I don't understand what you are trying to say.

[SirBalon]

51 minutes ago, Spike said:

So you think he is rubbish? I don't understand what you are trying to say.

Hahaha...

What I'm saying is that by a "smaller club" I understand that as someone like Southampton or something like that. I didn't get what you meant with smaller club.  Someone like Iniesta isn't what you need in those cases because it isn't an answer dfor what they're searching for.

[Spike]

28 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Hahaha...

What I'm saying is that by a "smaller club" I understand that as someone like Southampton or something like that. I didn't get what you meant with smaller club.  Someone like Iniesta isn't what you need in those cases because it isn't an answer dfor what they're searching for.

A team like Sporting that couod go from 3rd to 1st with a player like Iniesta.

[SirBalon]

Just now, Spike said:

A team like Sporting that couod go from 3rd to 1st with a player like Iniesta.

But that way he is seriously at risk of playing against Barça which is something he has consistently said he never wants to do. This is the reason I thought you were talking about a seriously smaller club.

[Spike]

28 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

But that way he is seriously at risk of playing against Barça which is something he has consistently said he never wants to do. This is the reason I thought you were talking about a seriously smaller club.

He doesn't have to play in the CL...

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, Spike said:

He doesn't have to play in the CL...

So hypothetically speaking... If Iniesta were to sign for Sporting Lisbon and they win the Portuguese league and qualify for the Champions League, he can then decide not to play in the very competition they'd be hoping he makes an effect in and also bring them that marketability his name would bring to their setup in club football's world premier competition?  I would expect he'll be playing for free then mate.

[Spike]

58 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

So hypothetically speaking... If Iniesta were to sign for Sporting Lisbon and they win the Portuguese league and qualify for the Champions League, he can then decide not to play in the very competition they'd be hoping he makes an effect in and also bring them that marketability his name would bring to their setup in club football's world premier competition?  I would expect he'll be playing for free then mate.

You act as if stranger things haven't happened. He can waste his time in China if he likes, it isn't my life nor my career. He could play against Barcelona in the CWC for fucks sake, if that is the barometre for playing for a club, why not just retire on the spot?

[SirBalon]

41 minutes ago, Spike said:

You act as if stranger things haven't happened. He can waste his time in China if he likes, it isn't my life nor my career. He could play against Barcelona in the CWC for fucks sake, if that is the barometre for playing for a club, why not just retire on the spot?

I know what you mean mate and to be honest, he should just play out his career at Barcelona because he has a lifetime contract which he can end when he so wishes. Barcelona have already been vocal on his comment after the Chelsea return leg where he said that he will be making a decision in the next few weeks. The club said that they want and hope he stays but that his unique legendary status gives him the right to freely choose his future without any issues.