FC Barcelona Collaborates with Young Artists for New Champions League Kit

Spanish La Liga giants FC Barcelona are harnessing the power of youth for their new 2021-22 Champions League kit, made by Nike.

Barça unveiled the new kits on Thursday, Sept. 9, and will wear them for the first time when they host Bayern Munich on Tuesday, Sept. 14, for their opening match in the Champions League group stage. The kit “offers a creative reinterpretation of the traditional blaugrana stripes,” according to the club’s website, with representations of Barcelona neighbourhoods created by young local artists.

The Champions League kit stays truer to Barça’s traditional motif of vertical stripes than the club’s 2021-22 La Liga home kit, though the shades of blue and red used on much brighter. They are contrasted by a darker shade of blue, used in the designs and for the crew neck collar and cuffs.

The designs depict five different Barcelona neighbourhoods: Poble-sec, Poble Nou, Gràcia, Raval and Les Corts. “The most iconic architectural and cultural landmarks of each of these districts are depicted in reinterpreted silhouettes by young local talents,” the club’s website states. “Each stripe also pays homage to the scarves worn by fans on a match day.”

The shorts that go along with the jersey are bright blue with dark blue stripes down the sides, and the socks are dark blue with narrow bright blue and red stripes near the top of the shin. Yellow writing on the socks reads “El Nostre Barça” (“Our Barça”).

Sponsor and Nike logos appear in yellow, as will the names and numbers on the back of the shirt.

The shirt will be worn exclusively in Champions League competitions by both the men’s and women’s teams at FC Barcelona. The men’s team is sponsored by e-commerce outlet Rakuten, while the women are sponsored by tool manufacturer Stanley. Both teams also wear a UNICEF logo on the backs of their shirts, under the number.

Feature photo courtesy FCBarcelona.com