Today, October 20, the 40th anniversary of La Masia, and Andres Iniesta has written some lines for Mundo Deportivo in which he recalls his experiences there and the significance of the initiative of Barca, a pioneer in the world of football.
"Every September 17, I get goosebumps. In 1996 he ripped off a dream, a road that I could never imagine would be so brutal. I arrived from my Fuentealbilla with my parents and my maternal grandfather by car." Said Iniesta.
"I have said it many times but I will never erase from my memory the silence of those hours by car. I said goodbye to my sister Maribel in tears and kept pouring them for weeks. There were no mobile phones like today and we took turns with the cabin although veterans like Valdés, Reina, Puyol, Jofre, Gabri, Jorquera, Mario or José let me sneak in to call. Every phone call was a drama despite sunrise every morning looking out my window at Camp Nou. So close and so far. For me and everyone."
"But I would never have been able to endure those hard nights without my second family. They took me in like a son. Joan Farrés, director of La Masia, the artists of the kitchen Josefina, Inma, Belén and Fernando, security guards like Fernando and Juan, technicians like Albert Benaiges, who loved me as a son from day one, and the others I had in the quarry: Ursicinio López, Domènec Roca, our remembered Angel Pedraza, Pep Alomar, Juan Carlos Pérez Rojo, Quique Costas and Josep Maria Gonzalvo. Everyone guided me in life and in football."
"Without them, without their sincere talks and advice to that child who never stopped longing for his village people, it would have come to nothing. They and those who continue to work discreetly away from the spotlight are to be applauded standing."
"It's 40 years of La Masia and I hope I can see 40 more seeing how its fruits make our Barca bigger. Congratulations!"
A_Madridista
363
The guy I can never hate😊 Love you Mr. Infinite Iniesta