Vissel Kobe midfielder Sergi Samper admits he chose to leave Barcelona last month believing he had "no chance" of playing.

Samper was granted a free transfer by Barca to let him sign for the J-League club, where Andres Iniesta and David Villa are also on the books.

He told Radio Marca: "My situation was what it was. I had no chance at Barça and I had a few months left until the end of the season. Months that I put to use playing here.

"I obviously wanted to have an opportunity, I saw that it was not planned, that it would not happen, that's why I made this decision. I know that Barcelona is my home and I would have liked to live there for many more years, but in life everything has a beginning and an end."