Footballer Andrés Iniesta will soon "be the star of his very own fly-on-the-wall television series" covering his transfer to J.League side Vissel Kobe and "the start of his new life in Japan," according to Chris Wright of ESPN.com. "Iniesta TV" will follow the former Barcelona player as he "gets to grips with the next phase of his career, offering an intimate insight" as he gets his J.League career underway. According to Rakuten, which is producing the exclusive series, fans tuning into episode one will be treated to "epic documentary-style footage" and a chat between Iniesta and Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, "the man who brought him to Vissel." The first episode also includes "footage of Iniesta meeting his new teammates for the first time as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the midfielder's maiden attempts to tackle the Japanese language" (ESPN.com, 9/27). PALCO23 reported earlier this week, Iniesta "ended his deal with Nike to sign with Asics," the Japanese brand that sponsors Vissel Kobe. Several other players "recently made similar moves," including fellow Spanish int'l Fernando Torres of J.League side Sagan Tosu, who ended his deal with adidas and signed with Mizuno (PALCO23, 9/27).
