Iniesta announces withdrawal from J-League Kobe in tears “Not Retirement”
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- on May 25, 2023
Spanish national team midfielder Andres Iniesta (39), who played for Vissel Kobe in Japan’s professional soccer team, announced his resignation.
According to the Japanese media ‘Football Zone’, Iniesta held a press conference at a hotel in downtown Kobe on the 25th and officially announced that he would leave Kobe in July.
Iniesta’s contract is until December, but he will leave the club before the end of his contract by mutual agreement with the club. Accordingly, Iniesta will play the ‘Kobe farewell match’ through the match against Consadole Sapporo in the 19th round on July 1st.
‘Superstar’ Iniesta, who was a symbolic presence in Barcelona (Spain) and played a key role in winning the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, moved to Kobe in 2018 and has been active as a team sign for 5 years until this year.
“I’ve been imagining the moment I retire in Kobe, but not everything can go my way,” said Iniesta. During this process, Iniesta even shed tears as if his emotions were overtaken.
Iniesta played an active part in 113 games in the J-League with 21 goals and 22 assists, but this season, it seems that he has lost his position, playing only 38 minutes.
Specifically, when asked when he retired, he said, “To be honest, I don’t know. But I still want to play soccer and I believe I can do it.”안전놀이터
According to this, Iniesta is expected to continue his challenge on a new stage through the summer transfer market.