Boca Juniors failed to turn up for their scheduled Toyota Cup practice at Tokyo's National Stadium on Monday night. No explanation was given, although several players from both Boca and Real Madrid have reportedly been harassed by Argentine supporters while in Tokyo.
Real's Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo and Argentine midfielder Santiago Solari were reportedly abused by fans while walking around Akihabara, while earlier, police were called to the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku as a crowd of Argentine fans created a disturbance and caused some minor damage. Boca is expected to be fined for missing both the practice and the subsequent news conference.
European champion Real Madrid put in some light training later Monday evening and coach Vicente del Bosque said his team was ready despite arriving later than Boca.
"We've adapted in the four days we've been here and want to win this cup for our fans," he commented. "Boca is good as a unit and they have some good individuals so we have to counter that somehow."
Meanwhile, Brazilian star Roberto Carlos spent some time with the Kashima Antlers over the weekend and said he was so impressed by the lifestyle in Japan, he is planning to play at least a couple of years here before his career is over.