FC Internazionale Milano v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final Second Leg
Barcelona have officially announced the cancellation of their pre-season friendly against Japanese club Vissel Kobe, which was scheduled to take place this Sunday, July 27. The Catalan giants were set to fly out to Japan on Thursday morning at 11am local time, but that plan has now been abandoned following what the club has described as a “serious contractual breach” by the promoter responsible for organising the fixture.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Although the match in Japan is now officially off, Barcelona have left the door open to proceed with the second leg of their Asia tour, scheduled to take place in South Korea. The club are currently assessing whether to move forward with those fixtures, pending resolution of certain terms with the South Korean event organisers.
FBL-ESP-BARCELONA-YAMAL
WHAT BARCELONA SAID
In a formal statement, Barcelona explained the reasoning behind the abrupt cancellation. It read: "Barcelona announces that it has been obliged to suspend its participation in the game scheduled for next Sunday in Japan due to serious contractual breaches on behalf of the promoter. Nevertheless, the Club will consider readjusting the leg of the summer tour in South Korea, where two games are scheduled against FC Seoul (31 July) and Daegu FC (4 August), if certain conditions are met by the promoter. If these conditions are met, then the Club will travel to South Korea in the coming days. FC Barcelona regrets this incident and the impact it will have on the many, many Barca fans in Japan."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
According to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, the cancellation of the Vissel Kobe game has put the entirety of Barcelona’s Asian pre-season tour in jeopardy. In a social media update, he remarked that the tour is now “hanging by a thread,” suggesting that even the matches in South Korea could be called off if logistical and contractual issues are not resolved swiftly.
Hansi Flick Barcelona 2025
WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
The collapse of the Japan leg of the tour comes as a significant blow to Barcelona's summer plans. Pre-season tours are critical not only for physical conditioning and squad cohesion but also for revenue generation and global brand development. Asian tours, in particular, have become key marketing events for Europe’s top clubs, offering lucrative partnerships and commercial exposure. Now, everything appears to hinge on whether the issues with the South Korean leg of the tour can be resolved in time.
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