Iniesta officially retires from international football
"It's true that this will be my last match for Spain. On a personal, individual level, it's been a fantastic experience."
Andrés Iniesta confirmed that following Spain's elimination from the World Cup at the hands of Russia, he would be hanging up his boots on the international stage.
"It's true that this was my last match with the national team. On an individual level it brings an end to a marvellous chapter of my life," the iconic midfielder said.
And while the loss will leave a bad taste in his mouth, it doesn't change his plans. "It's a difficult moment, one we've experienced before but we weren't capable of that little bit extra."
"My personal cycle ends here after a long time (playing for Spain) but everything has it's beginning and end. It isn't the farewell I dreamt about but football and life can be like that," recognised Iniesta.
Opinion on the national team
Iniesta insisted that it's difficult to accept criticism but those comments are the least important right now. "We weren't good enough when we needed to be."
Iniesta isn't the only player who will announce his retirement from international football. "They are replacements. There are good players and it's important we return to the way which gave us so much success. Winning isn't easy, it's a lot more complicated than it looks, but the national team will march on forwards because it has a lot of good players."
He didn't feel singled out
Andres was relegated to the bench for the match against Russia but he didn't feel "singled out" for Spain's poor displays. "The coach makes the decisions and from that some agree and others don't. He looks for what's best for the team and he felt it needed to be this eleven. It's a shame we didn't get past this match - and penalties are particularly cruel."
accepting responsibility for the exit
The midfielder didn't want to listen to who was or who wasn't to blame for Spain's failure. "The main people to blame are the players and from there, everyone has their own responsibilities. We were the ones out on the pitch and we have to accept the responsibility lies with us," concluded Iniesta.
