Barcelona cancel Vissel Kobe friendly over 'contractual breaches'

Barcelona has canceled its pre-season friendly match against Vissel Kobe scheduled for Sunday in Tokyo, Japan. The club cited "serious contractual breaches" by the tour promoter as the reason for the cancellation. This match was the initial part of Barcelona's Asian tour.

Barcelona stated that the second leg of the tour, scheduled to take place in South Korea, is also at risk of suspension. However, the club indicated it would consider readjusting the South Korea leg if the promoter meets certain conditions. If those conditions are met, Barcelona will travel to South Korea in the coming days.

While Barcelona named Yasuda Group when initially announcing the tour, it did not specifically identify the promoter responsible for the breaches in its cancellation announcement. The club expressed regret for the incident and its impact on fans in Japan. BBC Sport has contacted Yasuda Group for comment. Vissel Kobe apologized to fans and stated they are gathering information and taking measures.

Barcelona is scheduled to play matches against South Korean sides FC Seoul on July 31st and Daegu on August 4th. D-Drive, the promoter for the South Korean games, stated it is doing its utmost to deliver the matches. The news item also notes that Barcelona will begin their La Liga season against Mallorca on August 16th.