Iniesta is Kobe’s No. 8
Madrid, May 24
Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta joined Japan’s Vissel Kobe on Thursday, calling his J-League move an “important career challenge”.
“This is a very special day for me,” the 34-year-old World Cup winner said after signing his contract at a glitzy unveiling in Tokyo. “I had a lot of offers, other clubs showed an interest in me.”
Iniesta is reported to have agreed a three-year deal with an annual salary of $30 million, comfortably a J-League record. “But I chose Vissel Kobe because it was an interesting project. There was also a lot of trust and confidence in me as a person and as a player — that was a big reason.”
Iniesta, who lifted 32 major trophies and made 674 appearances for Barca, was handed his trademark No. 8 shirt by Vissel owner Hiroshi Mikitani. — AFP
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