of gravity — has rendered him one of the most skilled dribblers of all time, by allowing him to change direction quickly, get past opponents, and undertake individual runs with the ball, despite not being particularly quick. Moreover, his former manager Guardiola has praised him for "his mastery of the relationship between space and time," which he utilises to his advantage in order to disorient opposing players when in possession. His signature move is La Croqueta – a move pioneered by Michael Laudrup and popularised by Iniesta – where he quickly pushes the ball from his right foot to his left which takes the ball away from an opponent, allowing him to get out of a tight situation. His role has also been likened to that of a mezzala, in Italian football jargon, namely an offensive–minded box–to-box or central midfielder. Much like other Barcelona youth products such as Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Iván de la Peña, Iniesta is a playmaker who relies on his technique, passing, intuition, movement and inventiveness to control the midfield, dictate the ebb and flow of play, and create chances or space for teammates. Iniesta has been praised for his understanding and interplay with Xavi; former Barcelona teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst said of the pair, "They have a special relationship, they always have, they just seem to know where the other one is." Despite not being particularly prolific in front of goal, during his maturation as a player, he has gained a reputation of a big-game player for club and country, assisting a goal in each of the 2009, 2011 and 2015 UEFA Champions League finals, as well as scoring the winner in the 2010 World Cup Final, not to sideline his vital contributions in the 2006 Champions League Final, the 2008 Euro Final and the 2012 Euro Final, being known for his ability to score from powerful strikes outside the box. He is also the only footballer in history to win the Man of the Match award in a World Cup Final, a Euro Final, and a Champions League Final. His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch has earned him the sobriquet El Ilusionista (The Illusionist), El Cerebro (The Brain), El Anti-Galáctico (a pun on Real Madrid players' nickname Los Galácticos), El Caballero Pálido (The Pale Knight) and most recently Don Andrés from the Spanish press. Zinedine Zidane also praised Iniesta, stating on the