andres iniesta, what else is there to say about the magician? When he was 20-years-old, then-captain of Barcelona and future coach, Pep Guardiola, said: "This lad is going to retire us all." Some 13-years later, he has lifted another trophy, the 31st of his career, playing at the highest level in what could be his last final for his lifelong club.
Andres could be another fairytale ending
It is easy to be overshadowed when playing for Barcelona when you have someone like Leo Messi making headlines week after week, who even took Argentina to the World Cup alone.
The Copa Del Rey final was predicted to go along the same line. Messi's record against Barcelona's opponents on the night is sublime; 31 goals scored in 33 games in all competitions andYet, something was different on the night and you could tell this would be Iniesta's night. On the night, he reminded the world that he remains one of the best midfielders in the world.
Fairytale endings for football legends are not unheard of: A German legend retired from international duty following a World Cup win in Brazil just at the age of 30. Spanish legend Xavi's final season at Barcelona ended with a historic treble. When a first-half strike from the man in question thundered off the crossbar, fans were left wondering if Iniesta's moment would come.
He was never known to be a prolific goalscoring midfielder, which is why to the casual watcher, his game and contributions can be criminally understated.
He is a genius player
To understand his genius, one must look at those little majestic swivels in the compact spaces, the most perfectly weighted passes, the touch, and control in tight spaces, the runs off the ball, the composure when he has the ball that would leave his markers with a look of defeat on the pitch.
That was his genius. Yet, football is a game that is defined by goals, and surely enough, Iniesta's moment came in the second half. It was almost as if it was written in the stars, as the pass came off Leo Messi and Iniesta beautifully rounded off the keeper Soria, and finished the move from a tight angle. He is not a player who scores frequently, but he makes his goals worthwhile, scoring the winning goal in the World Cup of 2010.
Although he has not confirmed that this will be his last season for the club, all the symbols point to an exit; the goal scored off a Messi pass, the emotional sendoff, the tears as he sat on the substitute bench and lastly, Barcelona breaking the tradition of the captain and vice-captain lifting a trophy. Iniesta was given the honors. He remains the only player who has won Man of the Match awards in a European final, a Champions League final and a World Cup final; a testament to the player he is, and what a performance to mark his last final.
