Barcelona Cancel Morocco Friendly, Forgo €4.5m Payday

FC Barcelona have called off their planned Morocco friendly, a fixture against Ittihad Tanger that had been pencilled in for 15 August in Tangier. As Barça Universal reported, citing Mundo Deportivo, the Catalans decided the circumstances were no longer suitable and pulled out of the game.

Why the Morocco friendly is off

The match had been confirmed at a recent board meeting, with Barça expected to travel with a full first-team squad. Walking away carries a real financial cost: the club is said to forgo an appearance fee worth around €4.5 million. Even so, the Blaugrana have prioritised the safety of players and staff, citing reported unrest in the nearby Spanish enclave of Ceuta as the reason the trip could not go ahead.

Per the report, welfare rather than the pay-day was the deciding factor, with the club judging the environment unsuitable for a pre-season fixture. It is a decision that keeps the squad closer to home at a busy point in their preparations.

Attention now turns to the calendar. Hansi Flick is keen to squeeze in another warm-up before the LaLiga opener, and Barcelona are weighing alternatives. The champions have already faced CE Europa and Birmingham City, saw a behind-closed-doors game with Preston North End fall through, and are still scheduled to meet Nottingham Forest and Udinese in Italy this weekend.