'It was a daily master's degree!' - Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta's influence hailed as ex-Barcelona star reveals how Argentine hero cheered him up after red card on horror debut

Former Barcelona centre-back Muniesa opened up on his experiences with the Catalans and was lavish in his praise for club legends Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. He also revealed the words Messi told him after being sent off on his first-team debut.

Muniesa joined Barcelona's famed La Masia academy as a 10-year-old in 2002. He made rapid strides in the youth setups and earned his first-team debut at the age of 17 years and 57 days on May 23, 2009. Coming on as a substitute, he remained on the pitch only for a few minutes, as his rash challenge on Osasuna's Antonio Hidalgo saw him receive a straight red. Muniesa's dream debut quickly turned into a nightmare as he walked off the pitch in tears. He was on the verge of breaking into the first team in the 2012-13 season, but he suffered an unfortunate long-term injury during the pre-season. In 2013, he joined Stoke City as a free agent after making just four first-team appearances for the Blaugrana. In the Premier League, he spent four seasons before being loaned to Girona, where he spent two years. He left Europe to join Qatari side Al-Arabi in 2019 and spent four seasons there, before joining Danish outfit Lyngby. He returned to Qatar with Al-Shahaniya in 2024, and continues to be an important player. 

Asked about playing alongside the Catalan heroes, Muniesa told Sport: "I said to myself: ‘Wow, I can't believe I'm training with players who, two weeks ago, I was watching on TV when they were 17 years old.’ It was spectacular. You'd get there, give a great pass to Xavi, Iniesta or Leo, and they'd give it back to you with a low touch. It was a daily master's degree being able to train with them, spending four years between the first team and the reserves and experiencing everything I did is something I'll never forget."

When recalling his first-team debut for Barca, Muniesa described how Messi cheered him up after he was sent off. He said: "I remember that day fondly. I played 30 minutes at Camp Nou, the day the league was being played. I didn't expect to play, but at half-time I saw that he'd sent me and Alberto Botia, the two young players from the reserve team, to warm up, and after 10 minutes he brought me on for Silvino. And nothing, I was in a daze. In that act of sending off, I remember it was a corner in our favor, which led to a counterattack. It's very much on the wing, and I did make the tackle, and when I got up, I heard the fans roaring. For me, maybe it was a yellow card, but the referee decided that and nothing. Then there was the uproar with the waving of handkerchiefs, seeing the reaction of Xavi, Víctor Valdes, Pep [Guardiola]. It was something that shocked me. Later I went into the locker room and I remember all the players cheering me on. 

"Leo told me: 'Yeah, don't worry, I was also sent off right away in my debut for Argentina.' But anyway, a few days later I went to the final in Rome, sitting on the bench, just another member of the squad, enjoying the chance to win the Champions League with my team-mates. On the day of the final in Rome, I didn't think I'd be called up either, because there were 18 players from the first team, including Botía. I mean, it's normal for all 18 players from the first team to be called up, but he dropped Alexander Hleb and put me in the squad because there were a lot of injuries and suspensions at the back. On the bench, I think it was just Martín Caceres and me as defenders."

The Girona native is set to remain with Al-Shahaniya for the 2025-26 season. Speaking about his goals for the campaign, Muniesa said: "On an individual level, I'm trying to be as healthy as possible so I'm available for Santi Denia in every game. And I'm able to play at my highest level. The club wants a long-term project. Right now, the goal is to stay that way. Things are looking good; we have good players, a good group, and we'll see how the season goes."