KOBE, Jul 25 (News On Japan) - FC Barcelona has abruptly announced it will not participate in the scheduled match against Vissel Kobe, just three days before kickoff. The Spanish club cited a "serious breach of contract by the promoter" as the reason for the sudden cancellation, which was revealed on the morning of July 24 Japan time.
The friendly match, planned as a charity event on July 27, was part of the celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of Vissel Kobe, a J.League team based in Kobe. The highly anticipated fixture was to feature Barcelona, one of Spain’s top clubs, and was promoted in partnership with Kobe City.
However, Barcelona's announcement came as a surprise to local authorities. According to Kobe City’s Sports Planning Division, they first learned of the cancellation through online news reports that morning. “We found out through internet news and other sources this morning,” said Kousuke Naito, a section chief in the division. “We are currently trying to confirm the facts.”
Plans had also been in place to light up the Port Tower in Barcelona’s team colors of blue from July 25 for two nights. Naito said that whether the lighting will go ahead now depends on how the situation develops. “We will reconsider whether or not to proceed depending on the confirmation of the facts,” he added.
Barcelona was also scheduled to play two matches in South Korea. The club stated it is still considering those matches if the promoter meets certain conditions.
Source: MBS
