Barcelona icon Andres Iniesta was reportedly once on the verge of signing for Real Madrid. Iniesta recently announced his retirement from football after a one-year stint with UAE Pro League side Emirates Club. Andres is majorly remembered for his incredible gameplay for Spain and his decades-long tenure as Barcelona’s heart in midfield. Between 2002 to 2018, he won 32 trophies with the Catalan Giants. Now with the Spanish icon hanging up his shoes, AS journalist Thomas Roncero has made a shocking revelation. He has claimed that Iniesta was once very close to signing for Real Madrid in 2006.
As per Thomas Roncero’s report for AS, the possibility of Andres Iniesta’s move to Real Madrid had opened up during the presidential elections in 2006. Florentino Perez had just resigned to open a door for a formidable candidate named Juan Palacios at the time. The election candidate had reportedly surrounded himself with important figures such as former Real Madrid vice-president Fernando Fernandez-Tapias alongside prominent Los Blancos supporters such as Jose Antonio Camacho, Pirri and ex-coach Vincente del Bosque.
In that year, Jose Antonio Camacho reportedly leveraged his connections in the La Mancha region where he began his football journey. He even reportedly used his friendship with Andres Iniesta’s family to advocate for the young Spanish midfield talent. His primary objective was to persuade Iniesta to consider a move to Real Madrid if Juan Palacios ended up winning the elections.
The move could have been possible as Andres Iniesta was reportedly not quite happy at Barcelona at the time. He had scored one goal and registered six assists under Frank Rijkaard that season. The Dutch manager even left him on the bench for the Champions League final that year which ended with Barcelona beating Arsenal. Following the discouraging incident, Jose Antonio Camacho met with Iniesta to discuss a transfer to Real Madrid. A private meeting at a Girona hotel was reportedly arranged which also included the midfielder’s parents, Camacho and Fernando Fernandez-Tapias. Despite the massive development, the move failed.
During his illustrious career, Iniesta had won nine La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, three FIFA Club World Cups, six Copa del Rey titles, three UEFA Super Cups and seven Spanish Super Cups with Barcelona.
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