Andrés Iniesta is the Barcelona and Spain legend, rated by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Paul Scholes as one of the greatest footballers of all time. This is the thinking fan's footballer with a thinking fan's football book. Andrés Iniesta was twelve years old when scouts invited him into Barcelona's famous La Masia academy. Shortly after he joined the club, Barca legend Pep Guardiola remarked of him, 'This lad is going to retire us all.' Iniesta rapidly became a permanent fixture in the Barca midfield, propelling the club to a raft of trophies, including eight La Liga championships and four Champions League titles. With his country he has won the European Championship twice, and scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final. Behind the wonderfully graceful passing and movement, and the accolades and trophies he has garnered, there exists an intelligent and thoughtful man who, until now, has let his beautifully skilful feet do the talking. In The Artist: Being Iniesta, the Spanish maestro paints a vivid self-portrait, in his own words but also in those of his coaches, team-mates, opponents, friends and family. The result is intriguing.

本書は稀代の天才、アンドレス・イニエスタの半生を綴った単なる回想録ではありません。彼自身の静謐な語りに、恩師やライバルたちの多角的な視点が重なり合う構成は、まるで一枚の巨大なモザイク画を描き出すような文学的芳醇さに満ちています。寡黙な表現者が、自らの哲学と内なる葛藤を初めて剥き出しにするその筆致には、読者の魂を揺さぶる凄みがあります。 優雅なプレーの裏側に潜む、冷徹なまでの知性と熱き情熱。ラ・マシアでの孤独から世界の頂点までを辿る中で、フットボールを「芸術」へと昇華させた一人の人間の深淵が鮮やかに浮き彫りになります。これは競技の枠を超え、一つの道を究めた表現者が到達した孤独と至福を写し取った、至高の人間ドラマです。今こそ、その沈黙の奥にある真実の声に触れてください。