Spanish footballer, Andres Iniesta, has been named as the new captain of Japanese club, Vissel Kobe, a week after German teammate, Lukas Podolski, relinquished the armband.
The J League side announced the move on Twitter on Tuesday informing that the Spanish great, who has been at the club for less than a year, would be taking over the armband.
Iniesta will be assisted by Japanese pair Daigo Nishi and Hotaru Yamaguchi.
The ex-Barcelona star will hope to bring a steading presence to Kobe, who have had a tumultuous start to the season.
Despite having World Cup winners Iniesta, Podolski and David Villa in their ranks, Kobe sit in 11th place in the 18-team league having lost three of their last four games.
Last week, coach Juan Manuel Lillo departed and Takayuki Yoshida returned for a second stint with Kobe.
Shortly after Lillo’s departure, Podolski stepped down as captain and shared post on social media that hinted at turmoil within the club.
“Stop expecting loyalty from people who can’t even give you honesty,” Podolski’s post read.
It is not clear whether Yoshida will remain in charge for the rest of the season, with several Japanese media outlets speculating that former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas may be taking over at Kobe.
Kobe are owned by Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, who also sponsor Iniesta’s former club Barcelona.
Iniesta’s first game as captain is expected to come against Cerezo Osaka, who Kobe face on Wednesday.
