Another Barcelona Star, Iniesta Hints Retirement After Spain Crash At 2016 Euro

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Another Barcelona Star, Iniesta Hints Retirement After Spain Crash At 2016 Euro

Andres Iniesta has hinted that he could retire from international football after Spain’s 2-0 loss to Italy at the ongoing Euro 2016 championship in France.

According to the World Cup and Euro-winning legend, it was time to “think about the future” after failure in Paris.

Iniesta said “I’m lost for words. There’s nothing else to it. It’s time to think about the future.”

It means the 34-year-old Barcelona midfielder would join team-mate Lionel Messi, who on Sunday quit with Argentina after losing the Copa America final. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi revealed he was calling quits after missing a penalty against Chile.

The 29-year-old said: “For me the national team is over. I’ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion.”

Sergio Aguero and Javier Mascherano suggested they could follow him out the door.

And it looks Iniesta could follow suit at Spain, closing the door on a career that also includes the 2008 Euros.

Iniesta said: “We have to accept disappointment.

“They were more clinical than us than us when it mattered and got the betters of us.

“I think we were waiting too much to see what they would do and at times these things penalise you.

“That was the mistake we made in the first half. The second half was different and we were more like ourselves.

“It’s harder to take given the way the team had been playing but it’s something we have to accept now and move on.”