Barcelona always respect opponents – Iniesta

Andres Iniesta has dismissed claims Barcelona showed a lack of respect toward Celta Vigo with their alternative penalty routine in Sunday’s 6-1 win.

Lionel Messi passed to Luis Suarez from the spot, rather than going for goal himself, as they recreated Johan Cruyff’s famous spot-kick with Jesper Olsen for Ajax back in December 1982.

Some described Messi and Suarez’s action as distasteful, but Iniesta is adamant Barcelona never disrespect any one.

“We are the first ones to try to respect our opponents and the way they play,” Iniesta told the official Barcelona website.

“I do not think that the penalty was disrespectful.”

However, Iniesta did admit the move caught him by surprise as he was unaware Barcelona’s attackers had been planning the move.

“My reaction to the penalty was one of surprise because of the way they executed it, but I’m happy it was a goal,” he added.

“You can take them like that too. 

“Maybe the play was for Neymar [rather than Suarez].

“Personally, I haven’t seen them work on that in training, but I am convinced it was planned.”