Barcelona Shocks Fans with Preseason Tour Reversal as Marcus Rashford Debut Looms
Barcelona have announced that all complications have been "settled" concerning their opening preseason match of the summer in Japan.
Only 48 hours prior, the current La Liga title holders disclosed that their planned exhibition against Vissel Kobe had been scrapped "due to significant contractual violations by the organizer". Barcelona considered advancing their journey to South Korea, with club vice president Rafa Yuste expressing anger: "We will not travel to Japan because they have failed to honor the club."
A solution, nevertheless, has now been reached.
On Friday morning, the organization issued an official announcement stating: "FC Barcelona confirms that the first team's football expedition is now heading to Japan to commence the 2025 Asian tour.
"This update follows the Club and the organizer resolving all the complications that 48 hours ago compelled FC Barcelona to withdraw from the fixture against Vissel Kobe, which has now been reinstated on the calendar (July 27). Upon finishing this initial portion of the tour, the Barcelona delegation will proceed to South Korea, where two additional fixtures are arranged against FC Seoul (July 31) and Daegu FC (Aug. 4)."
Sunday's encounter with Vissel Kobe might become the stage for Marcus Rashford's debut appearance in a Barcelona shirt. The England forward completed a season-long loan deal on Wednesday, just hours before this complicated disagreement with the club's tour coordinators surfaced.
Four days afterward, Barcelona are—at present—set to meet FC Seoul in South Korea's capital, which will present an anticipated reunion for Rashford. Seoul's skipper happens to be Jesse Lingard, a close companion of his fellow Manchester United youth product. The two have featured in 152 matches together and it was Lingard who assisted Rashford for his maiden Premier League goal back in February 2016.
The pair have only faced each other as opponents once previously; Rashford netted the first goal in a 3–0 victory for Manchester United over Lingard's Nottingham Forest in December 2022.