KOBE: Andres Iniesta, who won the World Cup with Spain in 2010, and four Champions League titles and nine La Liga championships with Barcelona, is leaving Japanese club Vissel Kobe.
Iniesta brushed back tears Thursday as he announced he was leaving and indicated he planned to keep playing, but did not say where.
Asked where he might play, he replied: “I don't know.”
After finishing his long tenure at Barcelona, the midfielder joined the Japanese club in 2018 on a three-year deal, and prolonged his stay with a two-year extension. News reports indicate he wants more playing time as a reason for leaving.
Iniesta just turned 39 and made the announcement at a club news conference in the western city of Kobe.
It was Iniesta who scored the winning goal in extra time in the 116th minute of the 2010 World Cup in a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands for Spain’s only World Cup title.
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Iniesta says he’s leaving Japanese club Vissel Kobe but wants to keep playing
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Iniesta says he’s leaving Japanese club Vissel Kobe but wants to keep playing
- Iniesta made the announcement at a club news conference in the western city of Kobe
- He indicated he planned to keep playing but did not say where
Australian Open: Record hunter Djokovic mows down Maestrelli in Melbourne
- Fourth seed Novak Djokovic maintains steady grip on the second-round clash without needing to shift into top gear
MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic systematically dismantled Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli 6-3 6-2 6-2 to reach the Australian Open third round on Thursday, continuing his bid to make more history.
Fourth seed Djokovic, who is seeking a record-extending 11th Melbourne Park title and 25th Grand Slam trophy overall to break the deadlock with Margaret Court, maintained his steady grip on the second-round clash without needing to shift into top gear.
The 38-year-old raced through the opening set on the back of a break in the second game and pounced again in the opening game of the next set to heap pressure on world number 141 Maestrelli, who struggled to capitalize on his few openings.
Djokovic brought up set point with an acrobatic backhand and secured the frame with an unreturned shot from the same flank to close in on his 399th Grand Slam match victory, and his 101st in Melbourne, leaving him one shy of record-holder Roger Federer.
Maestrelli had a rare moment of joy in the third set as he recovered a break after conceding two, but Djokovic raised his level again to close out the victory and book a meeting with either Botic van de Zandschulp or Juncheng Shang.
Fourth seed Djokovic, who is seeking a record-extending 11th Melbourne Park title and 25th Grand Slam trophy overall to break the deadlock with Margaret Court, maintained his steady grip on the second-round clash without needing to shift into top gear.
The 38-year-old raced through the opening set on the back of a break in the second game and pounced again in the opening game of the next set to heap pressure on world number 141 Maestrelli, who struggled to capitalize on his few openings.
Djokovic brought up set point with an acrobatic backhand and secured the frame with an unreturned shot from the same flank to close in on his 399th Grand Slam match victory, and his 101st in Melbourne, leaving him one shy of record-holder Roger Federer.
Maestrelli had a rare moment of joy in the third set as he recovered a break after conceding two, but Djokovic raised his level again to close out the victory and book a meeting with either Botic van de Zandschulp or Juncheng Shang.
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