By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff reporter
Spanish football giant FC Barcelona said Thursday it will play a friendly against an All-Star team from South Korea's K-League on August 4, in their second visit to the country.
The game will be part of Barcelona's Asian tour that includes South Korea and China. It will be held at Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul, and will replace the K-League All-Star game for this season.
It is also planned to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Spain, Barcelona Director General Joan Oliver said in a press conference in Seoul.
"It's honorable to be able to play in South Korea again this time. South Korea is a very significant country for us," Oliver said. "This will be not only a football match, but also an opportunity to build friendship between South Korea and Spain.
"Sports are not only about winning or losing matches. The diplomatic part of sports is also important because it can help build relationships between different countries, different cultures and different people," he added.
Barcelona's players will arrive in Seoul two days before the event. Its squad will be finalized after the World Cup, but Oliver said he will make sure the club will be here with all its players including superstars such as Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.
"The only thing we need to consider is the World Cup. We don't know what will happen in the World Cup," Oliver said.
K-League President Kwak Jung-hwan expected the special event will give South Korea a chance to acquire greater recognition globally.
"It is the very first time the K-League teams will join forces to play a worldly acclaimed club," Kwak said.
"Korean pro football is having the best time this year, with all the four participating clubs reaching the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League. This event will make sure that we are the strongest in Asia, and also be a great opportunity to tap into the world to be in line with other global powerhouses."
Barcelona first visited South Korea in 2004 for a friendly with the K-League club Suwon BlueWings, which won the game 1-0.
It has been showing interest in the Korean football market until recently. Earlier this year, it held a youth football camp on Jeju Island in January.
One of the most successful football clubs in the world, Barcelona became the first in Spain to win the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League last year, and also became the La Liga champion this season.
In this season's Champions League, however, it was knocked out by Inter Milan in the semifinals, losing to the Italian club 3-2 on aggregation.
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