Andrés Iniesta, a great Japanophile, arrives in Tokyo for the last time with his wife and children, but his expression is gloomy… Tears of joy at the National Stadium.

Around 4:30 p.m. on June 5, many soccer fans had gathered on the Shinkansen platform at Shinagawa Station. Some of the fans were wearing Barcelona uniforms. At the door of the Shinkansen, people who looked like officials were waiting, and there appeared Andres Iniesta, 39, a former midfielder for Spain’s J1 soccer team Vissel Kobe.

Iniesta, who held a press conference on May 25, announced his intention to continue playing for Vissel after leaving the club and to look for a new club, but when he spoke of his desire to stay with Kobe, tears came to his eyes.

Iniesta arrived in Tokyo that day with his wife Anna Ortiz and their fifth child, born in February of this year. When Iniesta got off the train to the platform, he supported a baby stroller, showing the side of the “loving wife” he is known for, but there was no smile on his face. Iniesta! Thanks! He was surrounded by his staff and moved quickly with a stiff expression on his face.

The next day, he started in an international friendly against his old club, FC Barcelona, at the National Stadium. He bowed deeply as he entered the pitch, and put on a number of spectacular performances, including a brilliant passing move and a shot. He played until the 36th minute of the second half, when he was replaced by Xavi Hernández (43), his close friend from Barcelona and current Barcelona coach, who ran up to him and hugged him. The fans in the stadium applauded this scene. After the match, he and his teammates circled the pitch, wiping away tears many times. At the post-match press conference,

Everything was great. They always welcomed me and my family with love and respect. This match was my way of repaying them. I was able to accomplish that.

He expressed his deepest emotion,

Japan is like home to me. I will continue to do so in the future.

He also said, “Japan is like home to me, and it will be so in the future. According to the Spanish newspaper “Marca,” he is very unlikely to return to Europe, and is more likely to join a league in the Middle East. However, it is highly likely that he will return to Kobe after his retirement in whatever form that may take. For Japanese fans, it will be a short farewell, but we hope to see them again in the near future, and for now, we would like to say “thank you” to them.