FC Barcelona has finally decided to undertake its Asian tour and will travel to Japan this afternoon to play the friendly match against Vissel Kobe, scheduled for this Sunday at 12:00 Spanish time. The decision comes after a day of tensions and unforeseen twists that border on the tragicomic.
This Wednesday, the Blaugrana club announced that it was suspending the first stage of its tour of Asia due to a serious breach of contract by the Japanese promoter of the match. According to internal sources, the agreed payment had not been completed, which led the club to cancel the flight and cast doubt on the entire initial schedule.
However, Barça's ultimatum seems to have worked. This morning, the promoter paid the remaining amount and the pressure has done its job: even Rakuten, the former commercial partner of the Catalan club, would have intervened to facilitate the agreement and avoid an international embarrassment.
As if it were a drama with a happy ending —although somewhat disorganized—, the team will finally board the plane to Japan, with only a few hours of delay on the original plan. And with that, the duel against Vissel Kobe, where former Blaugrana player Andrés Iniesta plays, remains standing.
15 million at stake (and maybe 5 more)
It wasn't just about football. The Asian tour will bring the club around 15 million euros fixed, a figure that could increase to 20 million if certain advertising and commercial variables are met. An amount too tempting to allow a default to collapse the entire planning.
After passing through Japan, Barça will maintain the two friendlies scheduled in South Korea: one against Seoul FC on July 31 and another against Daegu FC on August 4. These commitments, at least for now, have not suffered turbulence.
A tour that started without taking off
The scene seemed taken from an Ionesco script: a team canceling an international trip due to non-payments, a promoter in trouble and a former sponsor becoming a last-minute savior. But in the end, what is important for the fans (and for the club's treasury) is fulfilled: the ball will roll in Asia.
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