Iniesta's Adjustment to Barcelona at Age 12

Andres Iniesta describes the great fear he felt when, at 12, he left the town of Fuentealbilla near Valencia to join La Masia. He says he cried constantly on his first night and that his father wanted to take him back home, but his mother convinced him to stay. He says he never thought about going back at that time, and his only goal was to fulfill his dream at one of the best clubs in the world.

Describing his father's support as the most important pillar of his life, Iniesta says Barcelona's style of play suited his own football style. Because he had grown up playing with the ball and learning positional play in the Albacete youth system, he found it relatively easy to adapt to the club. Still, he stresses that he had to work very hard to develop and perfect the concepts.

When he moved up to the youth team, he felt for the first time that the dream of becoming a footballer truly belonged to him. During his time wearing the Barcelona B shirt, he noticed that the 17-year-old players he had watched with admiration as a child had now become his own age. He recalls that when he got the chance to train with the first team, he still remembers the excitement of sharing the same pitch with players like Rivaldo, Pep Guardiola, Cocu, Xavi and Carles Puyol.

Iniesta explains that his relationship with Xavi developed over time and in a natural way. He says that at first they were told they did not suit each other, but on the pitch they proved the opposite. He recalls that when he was first called up to the first team, team delegate Carles Naval phoned La Masia to say that head coach Llorenc Serra Ferrer wanted him to train with the squad. He says he is now very close to the Camp Nou, which he had watched through the window for years.