INIESTA : The Best player in Europe!!

"Without my team-mates at the Spanish national team and Barcelona I wouldn't have won this individual trophy"- Iniesta 

Photo: FCBarcelona.com

Finally he gets recognition for his superb game! Andres Iniesta has been awarded the "2012 UEFA Best Player Award".

He beat team-mate Lionel Messi and rival Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo to win the trophy. Iniesta received 19 votes from the panel, while Messi and Ronaldo were both given the nod by 17 voters.
More..

after his winning goal at the 2010 world cup,
Iniesta expresses gratitude to his long time friend
and Spain team-mate Dani Jarque who died the
previous year.

Comment: It was about time Iniesta, Barca's Number 8 and Spain's Number 6 has been central to successes for both the club and the national team side. He was an integral part of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona that won 3 La Ligas and 2 Champions league including many other trophies. With the La Roja he won Euro 2008, the WorldCup 2010 and again the Euro 2012 at which he was the player of the tournament!

Moreover, he was included in the best playing XI list of all the three tournaments. An attacking midfielder, Iniesta is at this best whe he teams up with his partner-in-crime Xavi.
The cherry on top of the illustrious playing career of Iniesta should be the solitary winning goal he scored for Spain in the 2010 World Cup Finals against the Netherlands.

In the modern football era where size stands out, Iniesta is the La Masia-bred epitome of tiki-taka football. He is part of the current generation of Spanish and Catalan footballers who have dominated the era with their short passing attacking game. He is the anti-thesis of the modern footballer in that he is probably one of the humblest players around. And trust me, humble in football is a rare rare breed.


Congrats Andres! You deserved this! :)