As is fast becoming an annual tradition,
Catalan newspaper Diario Sport leaked
the designs for what will likely become
next season’s FC Barcelona kits last night,
with Renato bringing you the update this
afternoon. While every "scoop" Sport
claim to have on the latest transfer
rumours is usually garbage and not worth
your attention, they have carved out a
niche as one of the few outlets to actually
have a reliable source within Nike,
whereby they can release designs for
jerseys well ahead of their official
announcement.
Now, if we’re being cynical it’s probably
all engineered by Nike themselves to
gauge the market; how will fans respond
to the new designs now that they’ve been
plastered over the front page? And more
importantly, what will this mean for our
future sales?
It’s safe to say that the design for the
current season’s jerseys was met with a
mixed reaction. Some praised Nike’s bold
decision to feature a hooped pattern for
the first time on a Blaugrana jersey.
Almost everyone else found the whole
idea abhorrent and an affront to the
100+ year history of the club.
As a consequence, it has been rumoured
that sales of the 2015/16 FC Barcelona shirt
have been down in comparison to recent
years, at least with respect to the new
hooped home shirt. Reaction to the
Senyera inspired away jersey and the
midnight blue third jersey has been far
more favourable, and I myself have been
drawn into purchasing the third jersey
adorned with Andres Iniesta’s name and
number.
Anyway, I’m digressing; last year Sport
leaked the designs for these jerseys and
were spot on, so let’s take a closer look at
what Nike reportedly have in store for us
next season:
HOME JERSEY
Long live the vertical stripes. After taking
a one year hiatus, the vertical stripes are
set to make a glorious return next year
and you know what they say about how
absence makes the heart grow fonder.
There’s something about seeing FC
Barcelona playing in hoops that will
never feel right. As time has progressed
this season, we’ve kind of gotten more
accustomed to it, but we also get
accustomed to the harsh cold of winter –
that doesn’t mean we like it. Now with
the stripes back the right way up, it feels
like we’re closer to getting our identity
back. If only we could find a better
sponsor…
Whatever, it’s a vintage design and one
that raises a brilliant question: where
does this rank in the all-time greatest
looking Barca jerseys, and which one is
your all-time favourite? Let us know in
the Google poll:
AWAY JERSEY
Maybe this is just me, but I’m not a huge
fan of those bars of colour that are on the
shoulders. Then again, it does score
points for not having a collar, which
sadly detracts from the home design –
I’ve owned a few jerseys with collars, and
they never work out as well as the
pictures because they aren’t made with
the right material to serve as a proper
collar. Alright, maybe I’m being a little
too critical here.
The colour of this one isn’t exactly
thrilling, but it is a choice with good
connotations – remember the third jersey
in 2010/11 when we won our fourth
UEFA Champions League title? Just
discard any memories you have of the
likes of Dmytro Chygrynskiy wearing the
shirt and you’ll get along with this design
just fine.
THIRD JERSEY
One again, the third jersey is my
favourite of the bunch. I am a proud
owner of a luminous yellow Xavi jersey
from last season’s treble-winning
campaign, and I’m hoping that Iniesta’s
jersey can bring me similar joy this year.
A purple design is bold, and it may not
resonate with every Cule out there but it
certainly sits well with me.
***
All in all, a solid effort from Nike, surely
an improvement on this season, right?
NB: Sources on Twitter claim that the
colours are right, but the designs are
wrong and subject to change. Only time
will tell, but as long as we don't see
hoops, all is well with me
