Iniesta in Japan
It’s been four years since the magisterial Iniesta left the Nou Camp for foreign fields, landing in Japan and playing over 100 games for Vissel Kobe.
For so many players in their twilight years comes a decision about where they want to retire. Some players opt to sentimentally return to their childhood club, as Buffon has done returning to Parma. Others will prefer to have one final payday as Iniesta’s former teammates David Villa and Xavi have done, touring Qatar or clubs in America and Australia, respectively.
Like Xavi, Iniesta’s chances of retiring at Barcelona, his boyhood club, were slim in his declining years, forcing his hand to opt for the financial allure of Vissel Kobe. Perhaps they’re not quite the household name for big paydays, but with the financial banking of club sponsor (and owner) Rakuten they’ve attracted several big names. The media company (or rather tech billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani) purchased Vissel Kobe in 2014 and subsequently began sponsoring Barcelona in the 2017/18 season in a deal that only ran out in 2022, being replaced by Spotify’s mega deal. A year after the Barcelona sponsorship had begun, Iniesta closed the curtains on his career in Spain and joined their wealthy business partners in Japan.
Iniesta’s decision would see him initially double his Barcelona salary, following a two-year contract extension from the 2021/22 season he now reportedly earns around $30 million a year. On the pitch however, Rakuten’s investment in the playmaker has led to mixed results and little national success.
Iniesta was initially joined in Japan by 32-year-old Lucas Podolski, with David Villa retiring alongside his former teammate in 2020 and Thomas Vermaelen spending 3 years there before also retiring from the game. More recent additions include, Bojan Krkic and Sergi Samper, adding to the club’s former Barcelona contingent.
Despite finishing 3rd last season and winning the Emperor’s cup (Japan’s main domestic cup) in the 2019 season, and subsequently winning the Japanese Super Cup (Equivalent to the Community Shield), Vissel Kobe’s form during Iniesta’s stay has been erratic at best. Iniesta has appeared in 61.4% of league fixtures during his time in Japan, often hampered by injuries that have forced the club captain out of the side.
Perhaps relying on declining players from the Catalan club hasn’t been the most successful long term transfer policy as this season Vissel Kobe find themselves languishing in 17th place out of 18 clubs with 23 games played. The club also lost all their AFC Champions League games against Kitchee (Hong Kong) and Leo Chiangrai United (Thailand), with Iniesta missing all four matches due to injury, despite helping the club overcome Melbourne Victory in a play-off for the group stages.
Vissel Kobe’s questionable approach to recruitment is mirrored in their managerial appointments. Since Iniesta’s arrival the club has alternated between appointing either a foreign manager or a Japanese manager with varied success. Despite finishing in a club record 3rd place last season, former player and director of football Atsuhiro Miura was sacked after a winless run in March. Miguel Angel Lotina, a 2006 Copa Del Rey winning manager with Espanyol was appointed in April before being subsequently sacked in two months later.
In all fairness the club has had to endure a high player turnover recently with the likes of Thomas Vermaelen retiring and Kyogo moving to Celtic for £4.86m leaving sizable holes in the starting XI. Kyogo also represents one of only a handful of players Vissel Kobe have ever sold for cash, with the majority of players retiring or leaving on free transfers, such is the manner of the club’s transfer policy.
After selling Kyogo, that’s perhaps where things really took a downward spiral for Vissel Kobe. Whilst Iniesta is great in possession he’s the type of player to come towards the ball whilst Kyogo could stretch the play and offer attacking threat to match the play-making midfielder’s creativity. Vissel’s failure to successfully replace Kyogo has led to a toothless attack sat ahead of a gutless defence that at times could pass for a colander rather than a defensive unit. Whilst Cetlic’s high pressing style has led to them pinching many talents from the J-League, Vissel Kobe’s aging squad fail to keep pace with a high intensity league.
In his attempt to capture the technical excellence imbued within the Catalan club’s playing philosophy, owner Hiroshi Mikitani has seemingly infected his club with Barcelona’s chaotic energy instead. In typical billionaire fashion, he’s thrown millions at the club in order to attract aging former stars that have done little to secure the future success or stability for the club. Vissel Kobe has perhaps become a retirement centre for former international stars, with the likes of Japanese players, Muto and Sakai, part of a failing squad this season.
Some perhaps suggested that Iniesta, 34 at the time, still had a role to play at Barcelona, but opting for Japanese wealth has allowed him to leave on a high note rather than stay and be vilified, a fate Busquets and Pique have suffered. His time in Japan has been plagued by injuries just as his final years at the Nou Camp were, but success on the pitch has been a lottery that Vissel Kobe look to be losing this season with the threat of relegation bringing into question whether Iniesta’s $30 million a year wages could be better spent improving the squad across the board.
Despite being the wealthiest team in the league by some margin, chopping and changing managers every couple of months, like some Japanese knock-off version of Watford, whilst continuing to waste the money on contracts for aging stars and not adequately replacing attacking talent has led to an inevitable relegation battle.
Iniesta’s time in Japan won’t be recalled fondly by many fans, merely a footnote in a great career than seems to be fading out with barely a whimper if not abject failure come the end of this season.
