Fuck. I don't think in my 21 years of supporting this club, I've had a sadder day in my life. I cried when Xavi left. I cried when Puyol left. But this feels.. different. Maybe it's because it reminds me that along with the journey of Iniesta, my own life has been so intertwined with these band of geniuses that their careers coming to an end reminds me of how I've aged, and how life won't be the same anymore. In a sporting sense, and otherwise.

When Messi hugged him after the goal it felt like a punch in the gut. He knew this was probably Dons last goal for the club, and as he closed his eyes momentarily one felt that his mind was racing backwards to all those wonderful years of constructing goals after goals, after goals. Those moments of knowing where the other is instinctively. Those moments where even the spectator on the screen seems to have a limited vision compared to the genius on screen. Those moments when you thought Don was gliding over air, unaffected by the feeble laws of physics like friction. Those moments when you were sure the player on the opposition caught up to him only for him to summon that sudden drop of momentum, pause, and then turn and speed away in another direction.

Iniesta is more than just a footballer. He's an exceptional human being, and someone who came through depression to succeed at the highest level of sport. Someone who has faced much trouble in his personal life, but has never allowed to reflect that in the artistry he creates on the pitch. For those times when you made us mortals redefine what was within the realms of possibility. For those times when you lit up our brains, that split second where you are in awe of the magic you just saw. I will miss you, Don Andres Iniesta.