Barcelona are heading to Japan after all! Hansi Flick's men jet off as Vissel Kobe friendly to go ahead as scheduled despite alleged fraud and contract breaches

Barcelona’s flight to Japan was initially cancelled due to alleged breaches of contract by the promoter of their scheduled friendly against Vissel Kobe. The Spanish side were forced to adjust their plans by holding a morning training session instead of travelling to Asia for a tour of Japan and South Korea. The club then resolved the financial issues involved and began urgently looking for a new flight. Several options were considered, including departures at 7 or 10 p.m. on Thursday evening, but none were viable due to limited airline availability and difficulty securing a plane. According to Mundo Deportivo, the players and staff gathered at the Ciutat Esportiva training ground from 8 a.m. on Friday, had breakfast together, and departed for Kansai at 11 a.m.

Barca announced the cancellation of the friendly the evening before they were supposed to fly to Japan. The promoter the club blamed for the issue then issued a statement claiming intentional fraud from another company involved, which happens to be a sponsor of La Liga rivals Real Sociedad. Eventually, financial matters when Rakuten stepped in to pay the remainder of the €15 million due to Barcelona, allowing the match to go ahead.

The club issued a brief statement confirming that the first team were now flying to Japan and that the Vissel Kobe match was back on.

The statement read: FC Barcelona announces that the football first team party are on their way to Japan to begin the 2025 Asian Tour. This comes after the Club and the promoter have resolved the issues that caused FC Barcelona two days ago to suspend the game against Vissel Kobe, which is now back on the schedule (27 July). Once the first part of the tour is over the party will move on to South Korea to play two games against FC Seoul (31 July) and Daegu FC (4 August)."

The team is expected to land around midnight Spanish time following a 12-hour flight to Kansai. The tour will also give Flick a closer look at squad depth and fitness while helping the club fulfil commercial obligations in key Asian markets. The smooth execution of the remaining matches will be crucial to restoring order and momentum heading into the new season.