Former Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta, club legend for FC Barcelona where he played between 2002 and 2018, and for the Spanish national team, scorer of the goal in the 2010 final against the Netherlands, has been appointed head coach for the Emirati club Gulf United FC. This young club, founded in 2019, plays in second tier of the United Arab Emirates football league, the UAE First Division League (second to the UAE Pro-League), but has achieved back-to-back promotions from fourth and third divisions in 2022 and 2023.
Iniesta described this role as “an important step in continuing my development as a coach and putting my experience into practice at a professional club that truly believes in young talent“. The team has the youngest squad of the division and is known for nurturing young talents.
Iniesta, who already lived in Dubai, recently achieved the A Licence for managers, and working at Gulf United will help him get his Pro Licence, the first step for his coaching aspirations. “Football has given me everything, and now I want to give something back through coaching, through learning, and through working every day with young players who have the hunger and the talent to go far.
“I believe in developing footballers the right way: with patience, with a clear idea of how the game should be played, and with genuine care for each individual. Gulf United shares that philosophy, and that is why I am here.”
Iniesta retired from football in October 2024, and played his final season at Emirates Club, which was relegated during the year he played. Gulf United is Iniesta’s first club as head coach. He was previously offered a key role in Morocco as sporting director, according to some reports, and he was also the co-founder of the cycling team NSN Cycling, built from the remnants of the Israeli Premier Tech team.
