Andres Iniesta re-iterates stance on Barcelona return after announcing decision to leave Vissel Kobe
Former club midfielder Andres Iniesta has revealed that he would love to return to Barcelona in the future. This comes after the former Spain international decided to leave Japanese side Vissel Kobe midway through the season.
Despite stating that he would like to return to the Nou Camp one day, Iniesta revealed that the possibility of the same is still a long way off. This could imply that Iniesta wishes to return to his boyhood club as a member of the coaching staff.
The 39-year-old midfielder was quoted as saying the following (via Barca Universal):
“As I have said many times, I would love to return to Barcelona at some point in my life, but I still think it is far away."
Andres Iniesta shared a great midfield partnership with current Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez whilst they were playing for the club. Iniesta, therefore, wants his former teammate and La Liga-winning manager to be in charge of the Catalan giants for many more years.
He added:
"Above all, I hope that Xavi will be a coach for many years, that would be great news for football."
Despite leaving Vissel Kobe, Andres Iniesta still wishes to continue playing football and has no plans to hang up his boots just yet. Speaking on his immediate future, Iniesta said:
“I want to keep playing football. I feel like I am capable of still playing. But as this chapter closes, we’ll see what’s possible. I want to finish my career on the pitch playing, and this is what I’m hoping to do."
According to Barca Universal, Andres Iniesta will play his final game for Vissel Kobe on July 1 against Consadole Sapporo. The 2010 World Cup winner joined the Japanese outfit in 2018, arriving on a free transfer at the end of his Barcelona tenure.
At the time of writing, Iniesta has made 133 appearances for Vissel Kobe and has gone on to contribute 26 goals and 25 assists across all competitions. The former Spain star, however, has won just two trophies during his time in Japan, the Emperor's Cup in 2019 and the Japanese Super Cup a year later.
Andres Iniesta is one of the most decorated players in Barcelona's history
Andres Iniesta is currently Barcelona's fourth-highest appearance maker, having represented the club on 674 occasions across all competitions. The former Spain international only trails his former teammates Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets on the list.
Iniesta had a trophy-laden time at Barcelona. According to Goal in 2022, the midfield maestro was the second-most successful player in the club's history, having won 32 trophies in a total of 16 seasons.
Andres Iniesta went on to win nine La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey, four UEFA Champions League titles and three UEFA Super Cups amongst other accolades. He only trails Messi as Blaugrana's most decorated player.
He also went on to score 57 goals and provide 137 assists during his time at the Nou Camp.