Barcelona: Andreas Iniesta said Tuesday that Spain are determined to win more titles after their World Cup success and that the team begins “from zero” next season.
The Barcelona midfielder’s extra-time goal against the Netherlands clinched a 1-0 win for Spain in Sunday’s final.
Iniesta was speaking as he arrived in Barcelona after celebrating with his teammates and thousands of fans in Madrid, where the Spain squad met King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Iniesta said winning the World Cup would not affect the team in the future.
“We want to keep going this way, in terms of titles. This title won’t make us complacent,” he said.
Spain play Mexico in a friendly on August 11 and begin their campaign to qualify for the 2012 European Championship against Liechtenstein on September 3.
On his now-famous winning goal from a Cesc Fabregas pass, Iniesta said: “It was all very quick. At first I felt very isolated and thought I must be offside.
“It was phenomenal how Cesc saw me, he passed to me very fast and when I got the ball I knew it had to go in, because going to penalties would have been terrible.”
Iniesta said he would like to play alongside Fabregas at club level next season.
The Catalans want to sign the Arsenal captain and have already had one bid rejected. During Monday’s celebrations in Madrid, Barcelona players Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique forced a shirt over Fabregas's head as a joke.
“Everybody has come out and spoken of the desire we have for him to be with us next season. We would be delighted. Not just because he is a teammate and a friend, but because it would be great for the club,” Iniesta said.
“His arrival would give us a huge jump in quality and he would play his part to help us stay up there competing in the big competitions.
“We would love him to be here.”
Iniesta claimed he never lost faith in achieving World Cup success, despite a frustrating season with injuries and a bad start for Vicente del Bosque’s side in South Africa.
Iniesta struggled for long periods last season with a thigh problem and only reappeared for Barcelona right at the end of the campaign.
The midfielder then aggravated the injury in Spain’s friendly win over Poland before the start of the World Cup and was forced off once more as Del Bosque’s side went down 1-0 to Switzerland in their opening match in South Africa.
But the 26 year-old returned to play a key part in Spain’s first ever World Cup success and scored the crucial goal four minutes from the end of extra time on Sunday.
“I have always had faith and confidence. I had a lot of confidence in this team from the very first moment,” he said.
“It has been a difficult season, hard for me in many ways, but there have also been moments of the season when I have felt good. It has simply been a hard season and nothing more.
“Then there was the World Cup and all of us were so excited and keen to play.
“I really hoped things would turn out well for me and after the first game, everything changed — the team recovered well and it ended up as we know it could.”
Iniesta admited it was hard to describe the emotion he felt at having such a crucial hand in Spain's “priceless” victory.
“It’s hard to explain. All I can say is that I feel very happy, and to have scored such an important goal for everybody, to make millions of people happy — that is priceless,” he said.
“A lot of people follow us and suffer with the national team, so to see them all so happy is priceless.”
Up until the weekend, Iniesta’s most famous goal had been an injury-time strike against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2009, which gave Barcelona passage to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester United.
And the midfielder is aware Sunday’s goal was much more important.
“Every situation has its feelings. The joy I felt that day against Chelsea was the maximum, the same as the other day, maximum joy.
“But there are only a few teams lucky enough to win the World Cup and it’s the biggest tournament there is,” he added.
After scoring his goal against Holland in Johannesburg, Iniesta took off his shirt to reveal a tribute to former Espanyol captain Dani Jarque, who passed away tragically from a heart attack last year at the age of 26.
“It’s always been in my mind to pay tribute to him in some way,” Iniesta said.
“He was a footballer and the idea came about before the final. (Spain team-mate) Fernando Llorente mentioned it to me because some of our team mates were doing similar things with Antonio Puerta (who passed away from a heart condition in late 2007), or some other person they cared for who isn’t around anymore.
“And what a moment to pay tribute to such a great person and great friend like Dani. It was the best tribute in the best moment to make sure he remained with us.”