Barcelona have canceled their pre-season friendly against Japan’s Vissel Kobe, citing unspecified “serious contractual breaches” by the match promoter. The club also warned that scheduled matches in South Korea could potentially be affected.
The Spanish giants were set to face J-League side Vissel Kobe on Sunday before traveling to South Korea for games against FC Seoul on July 31 and Daegu FC on August 4.
In a statement released Wednesday, Barcelona said “Barcelona announces 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. We regret this incident and its impact on the many Barca fans in Japan.”
Vissel Kobe, where Spanish legend Andrés Iniesta concluded his career, responded on Thursday, saying they are “currently investigating the situation.” The club added: “We sincerely apologise for any concern this may cause to fans and stakeholders who were looking forward to the match.”
Tour promoters D-Drive, based in Seoul, expressed confidence that the South Korea matches would proceed as planned. In a statement, they blamed the Japanese organisers for the cancellation, emphasizing: “All scheduled activities in South Korea will take place without disruption. This issue stems solely from the Japanese side and is unrelated to the Korea tour.”
AFP
