Organizer: Japanese sponsors have cheated a penny and paid 100% of the Barcelona Korean game fee

July 25th Barcelona canceled the first match of the Asian Tour, and the Japanese match against Kobe Victory Ship was cancelled due to the sponsor's failure to pay.

This situation directly affected the matches in Japan and the two friendly matches in South Korea the next week. The flights originally planned to take Korean Air to Japan and then transfer to South Korea were cancelled. Now the plane needs to be rescheduled to send players, staff and management directly to South Korea. On the Quèt 'hiJugues, Seul Ham, CEO of Tour's promotion company D-Drive, answered questions.

SeulHam, Hello, how are you now?

If you ask me about my current status, to be honest, last night was very difficult for me. Many Japanese and Korean fans are very worried about this situation because they have lost the opportunity to see Barcelona players on the court. As the general manager of this promotion company, this situation is very complicated for me, not only because the fans who love clubs are disappointed, but also because the people involved in organizing these games are also affected. When I first thought about the opportunity to arrange two Barcelona games in South Korea, I felt it was a huge honor and was very happy. Later I also considered that competitions could be held in other countries.

Can you please explain what happened to Barcelona’s friendship match with Kobe Victory Ship in Japan?

I have received many invitations from Asian clubs, hoping to compete with Barcelona. These include some clubs in Tokyo and other countries. One person contacted me via LinkedIn and claimed to be one of the main sponsors of a Spanish club and told me that he had organized many friendly matches in Japan. I believed him because he left a good impression on me and we met. He then told me that if Barcelona went to Kobe to compete, he could win me the sponsorship of a large Japanese company. So I decided to hold this match in Kobe and signed a contract with Barcelona, and I paid a portion of the money myself.

Regarding the question of funds, is this money yours?

Yes, this money is mine, and some of it comes from sponsors. There were indeed some payments, but over time, others were delayed. So I asked for documents and evidence to verify the payment. He sent me some bank documents, but these documents were invalid. The deadline is June, but I didn't receive a penny from this person. He made many excuses, but they were all fake. Last night I put pressure on him and his secretary, and finally the secretary admitted that the Yasuda group had never paid the money.

Does it take 10% of the funds to compete in Japan?

No, not 10%. I can't reveal the specifics of the contract, but what I can tell you is that the amount is much more than 10%. What I can guarantee is that the Yasuda Group's money has never been paid, except for a small portion of their sponsorship fees. In fact, I contacted the staff of the sponsorship company at four in the morning and he told me that the company had paid a lot of money. But, where is this money? We also need to pay to Barcelona because we have an agreement. This surprised me very much. So, Barcelona finally decided to cancel the match in Kobe, which I think is a very reasonable solution because it was given a lot of time to deal with this matter, and the Japanese side did not fulfill the agreement. So I would like to apologize to all the Barcelona fans, all my partners in Spain, and the Korean and Japanese teams involved in this matter. Now I hope to be able to solve all payment issues in South Korea, including charter flights and travel from Barcelona to South Korea, allowing Barcelona to have a pleasant experience in South Korea.

In other words, will Barcelona fly to South Korea?

I will do everything I can to ensure that Barcelona can come to South Korea. I'm not worried about this problem at the moment.

Why aren't you worried?

Because we are dealing with charter charges... so I don't worry because I believe we will successfully solve this problem.

In other words, will you arrange a charter flight, and have the South Korean competition fees paid 100%?

Yes! The cost of the two matches in South Korea has been 100% paid and guaranteed. Hotel and transportation fees have also been paid. I hope the club can give me another chance to solve the charter flight problem.

There is a lot of controversy, one of the people in charge of the organization is Albert Luke, and what role does he play in it?

I am very sorry. He was a very good player and also served as technical director of the Royal Football Association of Spain, and sometimes he advises on football affairs, that's all. I don't want to damage his reputation here because he has nothing to do with the situation in Japan and he knows nothing about the Yasuda group or this issue. We have to be transparent about this.

For those who want to go to Japan to watch the game but can't make it, what else do you want to say?

I am a 37-year-old woman. I am very young and able to organize such a major event in Korea and Japan. I regret some of the decisions, but I will do my best to make sure the game goes well and welcome Barcelona to South Korea. Please rest assured that I will handle all this.