FC Barcelona Put Special Twist on Jersey for Special Match

Spanish soccer giants FC Barcelona put a special twist their usual blue-and-red striped primary jerseys for a special match over the weekend.

On Saturday, Barça debuted a new jersey for their ‘El Clasico’ match against long-time rival and fellow La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid. The shirt incorporates yellow gradients into the red stripes of their traditional pattern to evoke the Catalonian flag.

*FC Barcelona’s special El Clasico kit on the left, and their regular 2021 primary kit on the right.*

Barça have long been proponents of independence for Catalonia, the region of Spain where the city of Barcelona is located. In 2017, Barça were scheduled to play a match on the same day as a referendum on Catalonian independence, and the club asked La Liga for the game to be postponed. The league denied their request, and the game went ahead with no fans in attendance after violence broke out across the city.

Barça have expressed their support for Catalonia through their kits many times over the years. A fourth kit introduced in 2019-20 and still in use this year depicts the Catalan flag. The striping pattern from the flag is also used on the captain’s armband for Barça and on the socks that go with Saturday’s shirt.

*FC Barcelona’s fourth kit from 2019-20, which also features the striping pattern of the Catalonian flag.*

Unfortunately, the new shirts didn’t bring the team any luck, as Real Madrid beat Barça 2-1 and leapfrogged them into second place in the La Liga table.

All photos courtesy Football Kit Archive