Barcelona to play July friendly in Morocco

Barcelona will visit the Moroccan city of Tangier in the summer to play a friendly match as part of their preparations for next season.

The game, which will be contested against a selection of local players led by Rachid Taoussi, is scheduled for July 28, and will be the Catalans' second pre-season friendly after an encounter with Hamburg on July 24.

"We have more than 50,000 supporters in Morocco with four Barcelona fan clubs and thousands of followers in this country on Facebook," Barca vice-president Jordi Cardoner told reporters.

"Our desire is to put on a football show but also go further."

Spanish media reports claim Barca will be paid €1 million (£800,000) for visiting the north African country.