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Barcelona's Korea trip unaffected by Japan cancellation: Promoter

Published: 24 Jul. 2025, 12:36

FC Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski lifts the La Liga trophy after winning the league title at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on May 18. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The upcoming Korean trip by the Spanish football giants FC Barcelona will not be affected by the club's cancellation of their preseason match in Japan, the event's promoter here said Thursday.

D-Drive said Barca's Korean visit set for next week will "proceed as scheduled," in light of the club's announcement that they were "obliged to suspend" their match against the Japanese side Vissel Kobe scheduled for Sunday "due to serious contractual breaches on behalf of the promoter."

Barca will face FC Seoul at 8 p.m. next Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium, with the next one against Daegu FC at 8 p.m. on Aug. 4 at Daegu Stadium in Daegu.

"From the players' arrival and the matches to the fan event and other official functions, we're working with the club to ensure thorough preparations," D-Drive said in a statement. "Through our close coordination, we have nearly completed our preparations for the Korean tour. We're also maintaining a stable coordination system with relevant parties and operating partners."

D-Drive accused its co-promoter for the Japan match, Yasuda Group, of submitting invalid and forged documents and not honoring the deadline to pay up match fees. The Korean company said it will take legal action against the Japanese side to seek compensation.

Earlier Thursday, FC Barcelona, the 28-time La Liga champions, said they would "consider readjusting the leg of the summer tour in Korea, if certain conditions are met by the promoter."

If it proceeds as scheduled, the trip will be FC Barcelona's first to Korea since 2010.

Tickets for the Seoul leg were sold out within 40 minutes of going on sale on June 25. Genesis BBQ, the local chicken franchise sponsoring the Seoul match, bought up 30,000 tickets for giveaways to its customers and BBQ shop owners nationwide, while the remaining 34,000 tickets were made available for online purchase.

Among the world's most successful football clubs, Barcelona accomplished a domestic treble in the 2024-2025 season by winning their 28th league title, 32nd Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

Their talented squad features the Polish icon Robert Lewandowski, the 18-year-old Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal and the Brazilian star Raphinha, the 2024-2025 La Liga Player of the Season. They recently brought in English star Marcus Rashford on a season-long loan from Manchester United.

Yonhap