The return to white did not sit well with Barça

Opinions are divided among Barça fans for the new substitute kit. oh well not so new. Some consider that the shirt that Xavi's men wore in their duel against Arsenal, white with only some blue and scarlet details, is little short of a betrayal. Others, on the other hand, welcome the return of a uniform that, for many years, was by no means alien to the entity.. Although, yes, more than 44 years have passed since the last time they wore a similar one in an official match. It was on March 7, 1979, in a first leg of the 1978-79 Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals, against Ipswich Town, which resulted in a 2-1 defeat.. In its relaunch, curiously against another English team, the Barcelona fans also knelt. In this case, by 5-3 and exhibiting many gaps at the defensive level.

White, however, continued to be very present in the Barça uniforms. The numbers, for many years, until the arrival of the multinational Nike, precisely, were of this color. Surely, the one that stands out the most over blue and scarlet. In the 1992-93 season, however, a bitter controversy broke out with a tone inextricably linked to its great rival, a Real Madrid that, with the new decade, had begun to eat up the ground. Kappa, taking over from Meyba, announced that their revolutionary new kits would have a fine white line crossing the team's usual tones.

Although many flew into a rage, curiously, that shirt would end up gaining an important place in the culé imaginary. Above all, after the former Madrid president Ramón Mendoza came up with the idea of saying, looking for ridicule, that Barça was a Dream Team, in the style of the US basketball team that won gold at the Barcelona Olympic Games almost without disheveled. The shot, however, would backfire. Unintentionally, he would end up giving that Johan Cruyff team from the early 90s of the last century the name with which he would end up going down in history.. Hristo Stoichkov, highball glass in hand, did not tire of repeating it over and over again in the celebrations of the third consecutive League title for the Catalans.

Most rounded rival

From the club, in addition, this return to white, with the vintage touch of recovering the shield prior to the current one, is presented as a tribute to the fiftieth anniversary of Cruyff's arrival at the Barça club. And it did, curiously after Ajax negotiated precisely its sale to Real Madrid. It is not difficult to find images of the Dutchman dressed in white, although with the nine instead of the 14 on the back.

On the US tour, that first number is still owned by Robert Lewandowski, last summer's star signing.. The other, meanwhile, is the one who looks, at least for the moment, the most exciting arrival of the present: Ilkay Gündogan. The Pole scored the first goal for Xavi's men this preseason, while Ferran Torres and Raphinha scored the remaining two in a duel in which they were finally beaten 5-3 by a much more driven Arsenal.

“many tactical fouls”

“Obviously we could have played better, but I think we have competed against a great opponent.. We can do better, we have made unforced errors, but it was only the first friendly of the preseason”, said Gündogan who is clear that the machine still needs to be greased. “I have to adapt to my teammates and they to me,” he added.. Xavi, meanwhile, regretted that Arsenal used too much.

“His intensity has surprised me a lot, it has not been normal for a preparation match. There have been many tactical fouls and it seemed more like a Champions League game than a friendly”, said the Barcelona coach. «The main reason for the defeat has been the difference in intensity and physical tone. For them it was the fifth game and it has been noticed. We have been timid in defense, but we have accumulated minutes and, despite the fact that the rival was more shot, we have finished well, “said the Barça coach.