Just as Saudi Arabia is saying hello to big names from around the world, the kingdom’s rival for the title of having the best league in Asia is saying goodbye to its one megastar. “I came here in 2018 to fulfil the promise of making this club big, I feel I’ve managed to achieve that,” said Andrés Iniesta as he bade farewell to Vissel Kobe after his final appearance for the Japanese club in front of 27,000 fans at Noevir Stadium, Kobe’s biggest attendance since 2004. “And I’ve given my maximum both on and off the pitch.”
Few would disagree with the second statement, even if there were diminishing returns, unsurprising given Iniesta is now 39. The first statement is debatable, however. The goal of the Kansai club, flush with Rakuten’s funds, was to not only become a big club in Asia but the club in Asia.
That was always going to be tough, even with the presence of a legendary midfielder in their ranks, someone who scored the winning goal in a World Cup final and helped Barcelona secure four Champions League titles. Previously, Kobe had never managed even a top-six finish in the J League and had been, at best, a middling force at home while completely unknown overseas.
That certainly changed with Iniesta’s arrival, with many expecting him to head to China instead. Almost 10,000 fans came out to greet him in May 2018 as he talked of leading his new team to domestic and continental championships. Off the pitch, he always did and said what was expected.
On it, Iniesta was pretty good. There were some fine goals, assists, passes and all-round performances, such as in the 5-3 win over Nagoya Grampus. He helped sell out stadiums across the country in those early days and the Iniesta effect might have lasted longer had Covid not intervened and Kobe not gone through managers at a rapid rate.
Perhaps his greatest and most lasting contribution was helping a number of talented youngsters on their way. Kyogo Furuhashi certainly learned from playing alongside him before leaving for Celtic in 2021. “Before our season kicked off, Iniesta said to me: ‘Just be yourself and all will be well – play with confidence’,” Furuhashi said. “It really inspired me to let my confident side show on the pitch.”
Even with such talent – there were other Europeans at Kobe, including Lukas Podolski, David Villa and Thomas Vermaelen – the club could not achieve its ambitions. In Iniesta’s six seasons, there was no title challenge, with a third-place finish the highest. The others were all similar to the mid-table efforts the club managed before 2018.
The big triumph was winning the Emperor’s Cup on the first day of 2020 in front of almost 60,000 in Tokyo, a first trophy to take back to Kansai. It also earned a place in the Asian Champions League, when Kobe got to the last four. Those were the highlights, good ones especially if they were staging posts along the journey to become the No 1 club in Asia. But if that is to happen then it will be without the Spaniard.
In the first 17 games of the 2023 season, Iniesta managed 38 minutes on the pitch, which is the reason for the mid-season sayonara. Credit to the player whose contract was due to end in December – he chose to leave early in order to play more. The next destination has yet to be revealed.
Without Iniesta, Kobe have been doing well and on 1 July would have gone top had they defeated Consadole Sapporo at home. This was billed as Iniesta’s big goodbye. While fans prepared banners and tifos, the club tried to make as much money as possible, asking almost £50,000 (the equivalent of 8.8m yen, an intentional amount in tribute to Iniesta’s No 8 shirt) for two people to have the full Platinum VVIP package, which included a meet and greet with the man himself. There were no takers, but there were some for the gold package, which cost close to £5,000.
Was it because of the sums paid and the buildup that Iniesta made his first start of the season while top-scorer Yuya Osako dropped to the bench? Whatever the answer, it was the wrong move. Iniesta was a peripheral figure in the first half as Sapporo took the lead and was withdrawn after 57 minutes, leaving the pitch to a standing ovation and handshakes from colleagues and coaching staff.
Iniesta’s time in Japan didn’t end on the pitch but on the bench as he watched his team fight back for a point. It showed it was time to go. “The last few months have been a really tough period both for me and those close to me,” he said. “I have the desire to retire and close my career while playing on the pitch, and I’m taking my next step in accordance with that emotion.”
Neither party got quite what they wanted out of the arrangement. Iniesta started well but then faded and Kobe are still far from being Asia’s biggest club, but there was plenty to enjoy along the way.
