Football: Iniesta bids farewell as Kobe snatch late draw with Sapporo

Spanish great Andres Iniesta played his final game for Vissel Kobe on Saturday, making his first J-League top-flight start this season and coming off to a standing ovation before the home side salvaged a 1-1 draw with Consadole Sapporo.

Limited to just 38 prior minutes of league action this term, the former Barcelona star and 2010 World Cup winner captained Kobe at Noevir Stadium in the 114th and last game of his five-year stint in J1.

With former Vissel man and current Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi among the crowd, Iniesta did not see much of the ball in the opening stages.

Kobe had their first...