Andres Iniesta announced at a press conference his farewell to Vissel Kobe after five years in Japan.

“We thought I would retire here and I think that was everyone’s wish. “But sometimes things don’t go the way we think,” said the 39-year-old quarterback, who has ruled out ending his career. “We really want to keep playing and competing.”

Iniesta explained that the departure of the Japanese logo is due to the few minutes he has spent playing lately. “I have worked hard to help the team over the past few months, as I always have, and it has felt good, but sometimes the paths are different, the priorities of the coach are different and I respect that. Because of my sporting situation and my desire to continue competing, we decided by mutual agreement that the best thing to do is to search,” he explained. about the way out ».

Iniesta, who grew up in Barcelona, ​​​​played for the Catalan club until 2018, when he decided, at the age of 34, to head to the Asian country. “Coming to Japan and to Vissel Kobe was and always will be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life,” assures the player, who will continue to be associated with Vissel and Japan on other types of jobs. “It’s not a goodbye: it’s a see you later and I kept coming here periodically.”

Iniesta will bid a symbolic farewell to Vissel Kobe on June 6 in an exclusive encounter with Barcelona.