Spanish champions Barcelona have cancelled their pre-season friendly against Moroccan side Ittihad Riadi Tangier due to the ongoing border crisis involving Ceuta.
The match, originally scheduled for August 15 in north-western Morocco, was expected to form part of Barcelona’s preparations for the new season. However, the club announced that the fixture would no longer take place.
In a statement, Barcelona said the current situation made it inappropriate to proceed with the game, though it did not directly state the reason for the cancellation.
According to BBC Sport, the decision is linked to the escalating crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave bordering Morocco. The situation worsened after an estimated 78,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta by sea last week, with reports indicating that about 100 people lost their lives during the dangerous crossings.
While most of the migrants have since returned to Morocco, between 3,000 and 5,000 are believed to remain in Ceuta. The crisis has also sparked political tensions across Europe, with Italy suspending its participation in the Schengen arrangement with Spain, while Finland and Denmark backed the move. The Czech Republic has also called for Spain’s temporary suspension from the agreement.
This marks the second pre-season fixture Barcelona have cancelled this summer after an earlier planned match against Preston North End was also called off following the club’s training camp in the United Kingdom.
Despite the setback, manager Hansi Flick and his squad remain scheduled to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday in Udine, Italy, before hosting Al Ahly on August 19. Barcelona will kick off the defence of their La Liga title with a home game against Elche on August 23.