Andres Iniesta and his dad recall their 'once in a lifetime' trip 21 years ago

It was 21 years ago when a 12-year-old from Fuentealbilla, playing for Albacete, went on a trip that would end in Andres Iniesta signing for Barcelona's La Masia academy.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity couldn't be turned down but it was still a tough decision for the Iniesta family to make.

"My son is still a child like the one who came to Barcelona, but 21 years older," said Jose Antonio Iniesta, Andres' father.

"I am very proud of who he is."

Jose Antonio worked as a bricklayer while his son became a legend little by little.

"The train only passes once," Andres said, noting that the upshot of the trip was a 'now or never' moment.

A final decision to change his life in such a radical way was taken by the 'little one' supported by his two parents.

"My mum suffered more than me, because I made up for it with football," El Ilusionista continued.

"She was a mother, but she never said 'no' at all."

It seems that the burden that Jose Antonio carried, was somehow more comforting with the support of his wife.

"All the decisions I made were because I had a woman by my side, who always supported us," he said.

"But I never forced Andres to come [to Barcelona]."

The decision

Even so, Jose Antonio explained that the decision to go was very complicated.

"It was football... if it had been something else, I would not have moved heaven and earth, but soccer had been my passion forever," he noted.

"I wanted to be with him so that he would grow, that he would be more competitive, so that he would get what he wanted and be here, at Barcelona.

"I suffered for him because what made me feel worthwhile was to think that he was at the best place to progress."

Before leaving for Barcelona, father and son made the 86 km trip from Fuentealbilla to Albacete three times a week to go to training.

"There were many trips," Jose Antonio recalled.

"It was chaos."

The first boots he gave his son were the legendary Adidas Predator.

"They were black, with some streaks in the front, I still keep them in the town house," Andres remembered.

"They were the ones Koeman had."