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ESPNsoccernet: Europe | |
Andres Iniesta has said his dream has always been to spend the remainder of his playing days at Barcelona.
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Recent weeks have seen Barca team-mates Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol sign new contract extensions, with Lionel Messi due to put pen to paper on an improved and extended deal on Thursday.
Iniesta's current contract, signed in 2009, runs until 2015 and Mundo Deportivo reported last month that talks with his agent Ramon Sostres about extending that arrangement for a further two years had already begun.
The 2010 World Cup winner, now 28, joined Barca's La Masia academy aged 12 and made his first team debut in December 2002. He told Argentine radio station Radio La Red on Tuesday that he had always seen himself spending his whole career at the Catalan club.
"I have always said that my desire and dream is to finish my career at Barca," Iniesta said. "Time will tell how far I can go."
Asked about speculation that recently suggested retired ex-Argentina defender Gabriel Milito, 32, was set to join Josep Guardiola's back-room team at Bayern Munich next season, Iniesta praised his former Barca colleague.
He said: "It would be great news if Gaby Milito joins Guardiola's team, because he works very well with people."
Iniesta also said he had never understood past criticisms of Messi's performances for Argentina's national side.
"He is vital for his national team," he explained. "I never understood the criticism in Argentina towards Leo. It is difficult for him to play a bad game. It has always been difficult to understand it. But in the end it fell under its own weight."