Andres Iniesta Joins United Arab Emirates Pro League Side Emirates Club

Andres Iniesta is headed to the Middle East.

The 39-year-old  Spanish soccer legend has joined United Arab Emirates Pro League side Emirates Club on a one-year contract.

Andres Iniesta, Iniesta, a Spain international and Barcelona legend arrived in Dubai on Monday ahead of signing his deal.

The veteran midfielder will have an option to extend his stay until June 2025.

Iniesta, who spent the last five seasons playing in Japan for Vissel Kobe, joins Emirates Club as a free agent.

He’s eager to have more playing time having clocked just 94 minutes across 18 appearances for Kobe last season.

“There was difficulty in not being picked to play after putting my heart into training,” Iniesta said last month after playing his last game for Vissel Kobe. “I’ve experienced a lot of things over these five years, which is a long time.”

Iniesta scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final. He also was a key part of Spain’s two European Championship wins, in 2008 and 2012.

Iniesta began his career at Barcelona and won nine league titles and four Champions League among other trophies in his 16 seasons at the club.

del Bosque Named National Soccer Team Coach of the Year

Vicente del Bosque isn’t only the man of the hour… He’s the man of the year.

The 62-year-old Spanish soccer coach was named the 2012 national soccer team coach of the year in a vote organized by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

Vicente del Bosque
Del Bosque, who guided the Spanish men’s soccer team to victory in the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 World Cup, garnered 231 votes from among the soccer insiders and sports journalists surveyed by the IFFHS.

It’s the third time del Bosque has picked up the IFFHS World’s Best National Coach award. He’d previously earned the title in 2009 and 2010.

The Salamanca native picked up almost three times as many votes as the 83 that went to runner-up Cesare Prandelli of Italy, who was followed by Mexico’s Luis Fernando Tena with 70 votes.

Next came German coach Joachim Löw, with 48 votes; Herve Renard of Zambia, 38; Argentina’s Alejandro Sabella, 21; Paulo Bento of Portugal, 16; Jose Pekerman of Colombia, 15; and England coach Fabio Capello, with 13 votes