Former Spain Midfielder Andres Iniesta to leave Vissel Kobe
14:52 JST, May 25, 2023
Spanish soccer star Andres Iniesta will leave Vissel Kobe in the summer, the J.League team announced Thursday.
His final game will be the July 1 matchup against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.
“I had imagined that my retirement would happen here, but things sometimes don’t go as you hope,” Iniesta, 39, said at a press conference in Kobe. “I have the desire to continue my time on the pitch.”
He also voiced his intentions to seek a new club.
“Coming to Kobe was one of the best decisions of my life. I want to move forward in supporting the club in a different style and angle,” Iniesta said.
Iniesta has seen his playing time reduced this season with Kobe in the final year of his contract.
"Sports" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
World Series Champion Dodgers Have Eye on Back-to-back Titles with Shohei Ohtani Returning to Mound in 2025
-
Yokohama DeNA BayStars Capture 1st Japan Series Title in 26 Years (Update 1)
-
Shohei Ohtani Set to Play for Dodgers in Game 3 of World Series Following Shoulder Injury
-
Japan Celebrates as Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto Win World Series with Dodgers
-
BayStars Capture 1st Japan Series Title in 26 Years
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Streaming Services Boost Anime Popularity Overseas; Former ‘Geeky’ Interest More Beloved Among Gen Z than 3 Major U.S. Sports
- Malaysia Growing in Popularity as Destination for Studying Abroad; British-style Education Available at Low Cost
- ‘Women Over 30 Would Have Uteruses Removed’; Remarks of CPJ Leader, Novelist Naoki Hyakuta Get Wide Attention
- Typhoon Kong-rey to Reach South of Japan’s Okinawa on Thursday; JWA Urges High Alert for Strong Winds, Heavy Rain
- Japan Business Circle Calls for China Resuming Visa-Free Travel; Keizai Doyukai Visit to Country Marks 1st in 8 Years