The Spain coach says some were too quick to write off the Barcelona midfielder and hopes the 31-year-old can carry his fantastic form into Euro 2016 in France this summer
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque believes Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta is in "one of the best moments of his life" and says he hopes the 31-year-old can take his recent fine form into Euro 2016.
Iniesta's form dipped during Gerardo Martino's time at Barca and was forced to adapt again under Luis Enrique last season, but was back to his breathtaking best in the second half of 2014-15 and capped a memorable campaign by winning the Man of the Match award in Berlin as the Blaugrana claimed the Champions League and with it, the treble.
"It happens often that players are written off," Del Bosque told Goal in an exclusive interview. "And that occurred ahead of the World Cup in Brazil for example. Many people, looking at the results, said things like ‘I said they should have gone with other players’.
"But it is very difficult to judge how far certain players will go. Now we have an ample group of the players that were here when I arrived in 2008: [David] Silva, Cesc [Fabregas], Iniesta, [Santi] Cazorla, [Sergio] Ramos… And people said they shouldn’t have gone to Brazil.
"But now Iniesta is in one of the best moments of his life. Let’s hope he arrives like that in France. We have to support each other in what we see, not in what we assume things will be."
Del Bosque was also full of praise for another Barca player, Iniesta's team-mate Gerard Pique, and says the Catalan defender is unaffected by boos from fans in recent Spain matches.
"It has coincided with some circumstances happening parallel to the national team, and that’s why it has had more repercussion," the 65-year-old said, in reference to the player's mocking of Real Madrid and also his pro-Catalunya stance that have made him unpopular with some supporters.
"We didn’t like hearing it at the start, but we have become accustomed to it," he added. "And I don’t think it affects the boy at all, which is the most important thing.
"He is just another player for the Spanish national team and I hope he has the commitment he has always had with us, which has been extraordinary."
Meanwhile, the former Real Madrid coach says that Barca transfer target Nolito will not be judged any differently if he ends up moving to the Catalan club from Celta Vigo before the transfer window closes in Spain at the beginning of February.
"We assess players by looking at where they are in that moment and whether they deserve to come or not," Del Bosque explained. "So we don't have to worry about whether, if he goes to Barcelona, he will be called up more or less.
"It depends on the minutes he plays and the form he is in. Not the team he plays for."
- Goal