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Barcelona's pre-season friendly against IR Tanger, scheduled for August 15th in Morocco, is reportedly on the verge of cancellation. Despite claims that the match was contractually agreed upon and even locally announced, the ongoing migrant crisis in Ceuta, located approximately 75 km away, casts serious doubt on its feasibility. Under the terms of the agreement, the La Liga champions were set to receive 4.5 million euros for their participation.
The mass arrival of thousands of people by sea and across the border has overwhelmed local services and created social and political tension, prompting a re-evaluation of the event's appropriateness.
Barcelona has yet to officially announce the fixture due to the uncertain situation. The club has dispatched representatives to Tangier to assess on-site whether conditions permit the match to proceed.
The fixture is slated in the calendar between the August 8th triangular tournament in Udine against Udinese and Nottingham Forest, and the Joan Gamper Trophy match on August 19th against Al Ahly. The official start of the La Liga season for the Catalan giants is on August 23rd against Elche.
The match against IR Tanger was intended to be the first for the full squad, as the team's World Cup winners are expected to join pre-season training on August 12th, just three days prior.
Club sources, contacted by "Mundo Deportivo," offered no guarantees that the match would take place given the political climate.
The club's management has already weighed all pros and cons and made inquiries at a ministerial level. Should tensions subside, the match could still go ahead.
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