FC Barcelona’s Crest Inspires Striping Pattern for 2021-22 Home Kit

While FC Barcelona have traditionally been one of the most successful football clubs in Spain’s La Liga and in European competitions, they often break with tradition for their home kits. And the 2021-22 edition represents one of the wildest breaks the club has ever dared to try.

Barça unveiled the new kits during an event at their home stadium, the Camp Nou, on Tuesday, June 15, that was live streamed on their social media channels. While it retains their usual red and blue colour scheme, those colours are arranged in striping pattern meant to mimic the club’s crest.

“This shirt reflects everything that is in our crest — the pride to be a Barça, to be part of Barcelona, the city, and to be from Catalonia,” club president Joan Laporta said through a translator on the YouTube stream. “We are a country of people who believe in diversity and freedom, and we believe in the importance of giving value to our culture. … We are proud of being different.”

Barcelona’s website describes the club’s crest as such:

“The top quarters contain the St. George’s Cross, representing the patron saint of Catalonia and which is also present in the coat of arms of the city of Barcelona, and the Catalan flag. The bottom quarters contain the colours of the Club and a ball, which is central to the crest and the BARÇA style of play.”

The shirt uses Nike’s Dri-FIT ADV template, which features a subtle wave texture radiating out from the collar. This template is also being used for Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and other high-profile clubs with Nike deals.

The jersey will go along with half-and-half shorts, where the red and blue line up opposite the sleeve of that colour, and socks with alternating blue and red hoops. The socks include the word “culers” above the Nike logo, which is a term used to describe some fans of the club.

#MoreThan a jersey 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/9izkiXTHEw
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 15, 2021

A small graphic depicting the stripes of the Catalonian flag is placed on the back of the jersey, near the collar.

The men’s team is sponsored by e-commerce company Rakuten, while the women’s team is sponsored by power tools company Stanley.

Barcelona traditionally wear red and blue vertical stripes at home, but have played with that motif many times in recent memory — including checkered, hooped, and half-and-half jerseys. The 2020-21 season saw the team put yellow stripes in between the red and the blue stripes, which featured halftone gradient patterns. They also wore a special edition jersey that incorporated the Catalonian flag into the red stripes.

Photos courtesy Todo Sobre Camisetas and Footy Headlines