THE ESCAPING ONE: AS Roma cancels pre-season duel against Barcelona
The Italian club will withdrawn from the Trofeo Joan Gamper and the reaction of clubs and fans hasn't taken too long to come
Relations between José Mourinho and the world of FC Barcelona isn't the best one, and that's one hell of an euphemism. Ever since José's dialectic duel with Pep Guardiola when they faced off as managers of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, the relationship between the Special One and the Blaugranas has been tense at best and untenable at worst.
Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho clashed many times when they represented both sides of El Clásico
However, you'd think Mourinho would still be willing to show up at the Camp Nou for a friendly match. And yet, AS Roma has announced on an official statement that they will be withdrawing their participation at the matches that were scheduled for August 6th between the mens and womens teams of both clubs for the Trofeo Joan Gamper, Barcelona's classic pre-season friendly tournament.
"AS Roma announces that it withdraws its participation in the Gamper Trophy, scheduled for Barcelona on August 6, 2022. The decision stems from the need to change the planning of the summer friendlies, in order to create the best working conditions possible for next season for the club's men's and women's first team", reads the statement released by the Italian club, also alledging that: "Both teams will continue their preparation path through other commitments, with less impact in terms of travel, which will be communicated as soon as they are defined".
At the Catalan club this wasn't happy news: "FC Barcelona announces that AS Roma has decided to terminate, unilaterally and without cause, the contract signed by both parties for the dispute over the Joan Gamper Trophy that was to be held on August 6 at the Camp Nou, in an edition that brought together to the men's and women's first team. The Club is already working on the search for a new rival for this year's edition".
José Mourinho isn't the most liked fellow at Camp Nou after his 2010 run in the Champions League
Barcelona will in turn begin paying back the money from the tickets, while also announcing that they will analyse the possibility of persuing legal charges against AS Roma. It is yet unclear what the real reasoning behind the withdrawal has been, but fans haven't missed out the chance to mock Mourinho, who wouldn't have had the best of receptions at the Camp Nou.
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