Iniesta: ‘La Masia, My Worst Days’.

Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta reveals he holds dark memories of La Masia, saying that the time he spent nurturing his football talents in the academy was ‘the worst days of his life’.

Image: Andres Iniesta

However, the Spaniard admits he wouldn’t be a better man today without the pains he experienced.

The revelation comes from his new autobiography, ‘The Play of My Life’.

In the book, Iniesta explained that he was in despair, feeling ‘a sense of abandonment and loss, as if he had something pulled from inside, deep inside, of him’ but that the experience helped him become the world-class midfielder he is today.

“Yes, it seems absurd, but it’s true, I spent the worst day of my life at La Masia,” reads an excerpt, according to Football Espana.

“I felt it then, as I feel it now, with so much intensity, as if no time had passed.

“I felt a sense of abandonment, loss, as if I had something pulled from inside, deep inside, of me.

“It was a very tough time. I wanted to be there, I knew it was best for my future, of course.

“But it was a very bitter pill to swallow, having to leave my family, not seeing them every day and not feeling close to them…

“It was very hard. I chose [that path], it’s true, but it made me… it made me…”