Spain and FC Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, 39, is parting ways with Japanese J1 club Vissel Kobe.
“Former Spain international midfielder Iniesta will leave Kobe this summer,” Japan’s NHK reported in a breaking news story on Wednesday.
Iniesta played 16 seasons with Barcelona,메이저놀이터 making 669 appearances and winning 32 trophies, including four UEFA Champions League titles and nine La Liga titles. In the summer of 2018, he left his club of 22 years to join Kobe. In his first season, he lifted the Japanese championship trophy, and in 2021, he finished third in the league, the highest finish in the club’s history.
After a strong start, Kobe slumped last season and went through a series of coaching changes. They rebounded under Takayuki Yoshida, who took over for the third time in June last year and made changes to the roster. Iniesta’s playing time gradually decreased.
Kobe is currently at the top of the table after 14 rounds of the league this season. Iniesta has played just 38 minutes in three games.
Next month, on June 6, Iniesta’s hometown club Barcelona will visit Japan for the first time in four years. They will face Kobe. This will be Iniesta’s farewell match, according to the media.
Iniesta will hold a press conference in the near future to explain why he decided to leave Kobe and where he will be living in the future.
