Like so much in the world, the European football leagues are currently at a standstill because of the corona virus. In the first Spanish league, all 20 teams have therefore agreed to a FIFA 20 tournament, which should not only offer sporting entertainment but also collect donations for UNICEF.
However, two teams could not take part in the charity kick: FC Barcelona and RCD Mallorca – and this is obviously due to Pro Evolution Soccer. Because both Barca and Mallorca have exclusive deals with Konami and eFootball PES 2020, FC Barcelona in particular is one of the most prominent clubs with which Konami advertises its football sim.
As reported by the Spanish sports website AS, Sergio Roberto from Barca and Alejandro Pozo from RCD Mallorca therefore had to Withdraw from the planned FIFA 20 tournament
Konami would not have explicitly requested withdrawal
Konami told Kotaku in a short statement that one could "confirm that they did not approach the teams and demanded a withdrawal from the tournament". So it remains questionable why Roberto and Pozo officially canceled.
Ultimately, the FIFA tournament was held last weekend without Barca and Mallorca and in the final on March 22nd Real Madrid's Marco Asensio won. In addition, at the tournament 140,000 euros in donations for UNICEF and collected the fight against the corona virus.
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If the Spanish league supports such events more frequently in the future, Barca and Mallorca are likely to be missing even more frequently. Because the exclusive contract with PES at RCD Mallorca runs until June 30 this year and FC Barcelona is even exclusively bound to Pro Evolution Soccer until 2023.