Andres Iniesta is having arguably the best year of his career.
Not only did the 28 year old get married this summer, but he won the Euro 2012 with Spain. Afterwards, he was given a slew of awards to add to his trophy case and cement a successful year. He was selected as the MVP for the Euro Cup, and shortly after beat out Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.
Iniesta did not score a single goal in the Euro Cup, but added one assist against Croatia in the group stage of the tournament. However the reason for his being named MVP was due to the tenacity he displayed game in and game out and for generating scoring chances for Spain in the midfield. He showcased himself as leader for the squad and was an integral part of their major championship.
Likewise, his play in the 2011-12 UCL indicated his greatest. He only scored three goals in three games, but his creativity helped Barcelona all the way to the semi-finals.
Iniesta is not the flashy scorer that Messi or Ronaldo are, but his hard work, creativity, and perseverance on both sides of the ball makes him a great player.
Biggest Moment of the Year: Winning the Euro Cup 2012, being named the tournament's MVP, and then topping both Messi and Ronaldo as Europe's Top player. Take your pick.
Chances of Being in the Top Three: When you top Messi and Ronaldo as Europe's Best Player despite Messi's 50+ goal season and Ronaldo's La Liga Championship, there is clearly something that you are doing right. Iniesta is a likely favorite to not only land in the top three but possibly upset the other two guys.
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