Former Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta lost 3-0 in his first game as a Vissel Kobe player on Sunday.
Iniesta came on as a substitute in the 59th minute of Vissel’s match against Shonan Bellmare, which kicked off at 10:00 BST.
The Spaniard’s side went into the fixture sixth in the J1 League, five points off third place – needed for entry to next season’s Asian Champions League.
Despite the euphoric atmosphere in Kobe, which saw the Japanese fans celebrate his every touch, the 34-year-old could not prevent a first defeat in five games.
Next up for Iniesta and Vissel is the visit of Kashiwa Reysol next Saturday.
