Barcelona has cancelled its planned pre‑season friendly against Moroccan club Ittihad Riadi Tangier.
The match, scheduled for 15 August in north‑western Morocco, was called off amid growing uncertainty surrounding the Ceuta border situation.
In a statement, the club said, “In light of the current uncertainty and circumstances, FC Barcelona considers playing the match would be inappropriate.”
Although Barcelona did not specify a reason, BBC Sport linked the decision to the ongoing crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on North Africa’s coast that shares a border with Morocco.
The situation escalated last week when approximately 78,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta by sea. Around 100 people lost their lives during the crossings, and the surge triggered political tensions among European Union countries that operate under the Schengen border agreement.
Most migrants have since returned to Morocco, but an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 individuals remain in Ceuta. Italy has suspended its Schengen arrangement with Spain, a move backed by Finland and Denmark, while the Czech Republic has called for Spain’s temporary suspension from the agreement.
This is Barcelona’s second pre‑season fixture to be scrapped this summer. Earlier, a planned match against Preston North End was cancelled after the club’s training camp in the United Kingdom, where they faced Birmingham City.
Looking ahead, Hansi Flick’s side are still set to play Nottingham Forest on Saturday in Udine, Italy, before hosting Egyptian champions Al Ahly on 19 August. Barcelona will then launch the defence of their La Liga title with a home game against Elche on 23 August.
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