Dirty TackleAndres Iniesta wins World Cup, pays tribute to Dani Jarque
As Andres Iniesta scored the 116th-minute goal that helped Spain to its first World Cup victory, he took the opportunity to pay tribute to a colleague who passed away before the start of last season. In front of a TV audience of more than 750 million, the Barca star removed his shirt to reveal the message "Dani Jarque siempre con nosotros," which translates to:
Dani Jarque always with us
Espanyol defender Jarque suffered a heart attack before a preseason game in Italy in 2009. He never played club football with Iniesta, but they were the same age as they rose through the Spanish national team ranks. After the match, Iniesta explained his gesture:
“I wanted to keep Dani with me and with the other teammates. We wanted to pay tribute to him and we thought this was the best opportunity to do so.”
The diminutive midfielder may have earned a yellow card for the gesture, but what better way to pay tribute to a lost friend.
Image: AP
[Photos: More images of Spanish hero Andres Iniesta]
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