BARCELONA, Spain -- Sergi Samper has confirmed that he will sign for Japanese club Vissel Kobe after his Barcelona contract was cancelled, ending an 18-year stay.

Samper, who made one Barca appearance this season, said his desire to play regular football again was the main reason behind his decision to move to Japan at the age of 24.

The midfielder said former Barca captain Andres Iniesta, who signed for Vissel Kobe last summer, had played a key role in convincing him to join the J-League club.

"I...

Andres Iniesta has said he and his family struggled to adapt after swapping Barcelona for Vissel Kobe but they are finally beginning to feel settled in Japan.

Iniesta, 34, left Spain for the Japanese side after last summer's World Cup and said it has been difficult to get used to the cultural differences between the two countries.

"I have to confess that the adaption process has not been easy during my first six months in Japan, in sporting and in family terms," he wrote in Esquire ahead of...

Former Spain and Barcelona star Andres Iniesta has released a statement explaining a social media post that prompted criticism because of a photo that included two people in blackface.

They were among 10 people that appeared along with the 34-year-old Vissel Kobe midfielder in an Instagram post celebrating Three Kings Day, a tradition that in Spain includes parades held in cities and villages featuring three men dressed up as kings - one of whom is traditionally black.

The photo published Sunday...

Former Spain and Barcelona star Andres Iniesta has been criticized on social media for posting a photo showing him with a group of people, including two in blackface, as part of the Three Kings Day celebration in Spain.

Iniesta, who was not in blackface, plays in Japan for Vissel Kobe.

The 34-year-old midfielder, who is white, was sitting at the front of a group of 10 people taking part in Epiphany celebrations. Parades held in cities and villages across Spain feature three men dressed up as kings...