Andres Iniesta: My adaptation to Japan has not been easy

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Former Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta spoke to Esquire about his new life in Asia. The playmaker moved to Japan on May 26 last year to play of Vissel Kobe.

“Adaptation has not been easy, not in terms of the sport or as a family, because Japanese customs are radically different to our own, but now, in the end, my wife and children feel like we’ve adapted and it’s time to enjoy it.”

Iniesta continued: “The Japanese are much calmer than us and that is reflected in the stadium and on the pitch. They support and protest but they don’t get angry like they do here, because they endure defeat in a very different way than we do in Europe.

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“OK, we lost, and what? That philosophy is the hardest thing for me to adapt to and understand, because they are competitive but take other conclusions from defeats. My time at Vissel Kobe is infinitely calmer than my time at Barca.”

Iniesta says he has a couple of Japanese classes a week but he always operates with a translator. He added that “those who are adapting very quickly are our children.”

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