MADRID, April 27 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona's Spanish international midfielder Andres Iniesta confirmed on Friday that he will be leaving the club where he has spent his entire career, but he didn't say where he would play in the future.
The 33-year-old (who will be 34 on May 11th) brought the curtain down on 22 years at Barca in an emotional press conference at the club's "Joan Gamper" training ground, where he was accompanied by all of his teammates, his family and the club's Board of Directors.
"This press conference is to make public the decision that this season will be the last season here. It is a decision I have thought about a lot with myself and my family," said Iniesta with tears in his eyes.
"This is the best team in the world and I know what it means to play here year after year in every sense of the word and the responsibility of being captain," continued the midfielder, who said he wanted to leave while he was still worth his place in the team.
"Being honest with myself and the club, I believe my period here ends this year, because the club deserves the best of me and I don't think that in the near future, I could give the best of myself in all ways; physical and mental," he explained, adding this was the way he wanted to go, while still "useful" for Barcelona.
"I want to thank the club and the 'Masia' (the Barca youth system) because if I am here today it is thanks to them," said Iniesta, who also thanked his teammates, saying it was "incredible" to be alongside with them every day. He also thanked the fans, who had seen him "grow since I was 12 years old and have supported me in good and bad times."
However, despite rumors that he has agreed to move to the Chinese Super League, Iniesta didn't reveal his next destination, but said it will be a place outside Europe.
"There are still things to talk about and to close, but I have always said, I will never play against my club, so it could be anywhere that is not Europe," was all he commented.
The man who is revered all over Spain after scoring the winning goal of the 2010 World Cup final joined Barcelona as a 12-year-old.
He admitted to a difficult beginning in Barcelona, as he missed his home close to Albacete in central Spain, and later confessed to "crying rivers" because he missed his parents.
However, he progressed through the Barca youth team before making his first team debut as an 18-year-old in 2002.
Since then he has made 550 appearances for Barca, won eight La Liga titles (it will be nine by the end of the season), four Champions Leagues, six Copas del Rey, three European and seven Spanish Supercups and four World Club Championships with the club.
Meanwhile, Iniesta has played 125 times for Spain, winning the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and, of course, the 2010 World Cup.
