Barca's Pre-Season Exhibition Against Vissel Kobe Cancelled Over Contractual Breaches

Last Updated:July 24, 2025, 12:20 IST

Spanish champions Barcelona cancelled their pre-season friendly against Japanese side Vissel Kobe due to serious cases of contractual breaches from the promoter.

Barcelona. (X)

La Liga champions Barcelona have cancelled their pre-season friendly against Japanese side Vissel Kobe due to serious cases of contractual breaches from the promoter’s end.

The incident also throws the Blaugrana’s trip to South Korea, as part of their Asian pre-season tour, into question. But, the Seoul-based promoter, D-Drive, asserted that the issue stemmed from the organisers in Japan.

“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," the Catalan club said in a statement.

“Barcelona regrets this incident and the impact it will have on the many, many Barca fans in Japan," the Spanish giants added.

Kobe, who had the privilege of serving as the home of Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta during his twilight years, apologised to all stakeholders and fans who eagerly awaited the exhibition game.

“We sincerely apologise for any concern this may cause to the many fans and stakeholders who were looking forward to this match," the Japanese side said.

However, tour promoters, D-Drive, a South Korean-based firm, blamed the organisers in Japan and asserted that the Culers’ trip to Seoul will go ahead as planned.

“All scheduled activities in South Korea will take place as planned, without any disruptions," the promoter said.

“This is an issue that stems solely from the Japanese side and has no connection whatsoever with the Korea tour," D-Drive reiterated.

“To all media outlets around the world: My name is  and Official Promoter of the FC Barcelona 2025 Asian Tour, representing D-DRIVE.

“The match between Vissel Kobe and FC Barcelona, which has just been cancelled, was originally proposed by the Yasuda Group, the main sponsor of Real Sociedad, and was to be co-hosted locally in Japan. D-DRIVE was scheduled to receive full payment for the match today; however, the funds ultimately failed to arrive," Seul Ham, the General Manager of D-Drive revealed.

“Instead, the Yasuda Grouphas repeatedly provided invalid and falsified documents, deceiving us by falsely claiming that the payment had already been transferred to Korea. We have obtained an audio recording from a Yasuda Group employee stating that their CEO ultimately did not send the money, clearly confirming intentional fraud," Ham continued.

“As a result of this fraudulent conduct, Rakuten’s public image has suffered significant damage. In light of these events, FC Barcelona has made the correct and responsible decision to cancel the match in Japan."

“We will take legal action against the responsible Japanese entities to recover damages. Unlike in Japan, in Korea, the promoter has fully prepared the matches and covered all related costs. As of today, only flight expenses remain outstanding," Ham added.

“To our fans in Korea: please rest assured. D-DRIVE remains fully committed to making the remainder of the tour a success. We will do everything possible to deliver unforgettable matches," Ham promised.

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