Atlético Madrid will play a friendly against Inter Milan this Friday at the Benghazi International Stadium in Libya, which holds 40,000 spectators.
The match, which was not on the calendar just a couple of weeks ago, came about after Barcelona withdrew, as they were originally scheduled to take part.
The Catalan club had already received the agreed fee of €5 million for playing in Libya but, after pulling out, had to return the money.
Barcelona cited security concerns over renewed outbreaks of violence and the threat of civil war in the country, despite a ceasefire being in place since 2020.
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also advised against traveling to Libya.
“Given the serious security problems currently affecting the country, travel is strongly discouraged, and Spanish nationals already there are urged to take maximum precautions,” the ministry stated, pointing out Benghazi—the host city for the match—as one of the areas to avoid.
Following Barça’s withdrawal, organizers approached Atlético, who, after consulting with the relevant authorities, agreed to step in. The Madrid side will receive around €3.5 million for the friendly.
The squad will fly to Benghazi on Friday, arriving in time for lunch and the match, before returning to Madrid immediately after the game.
