KOBE, Japan (AP) — 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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