We compare the yellow shirts of 1976 and 2019
The 2019/2020 shirt respects the 1976 original (worn by Johan Cruyff)
43 years later, Barça will once again officially wear the 1976 yellow shirt with the "blau grana" diagonal stripes.
The design that was announced by Nike Inc on the 8th of July 2019 is a replica of the shirt FC Barcelona wore during the 1975/1976 season. Here is the proof:. If we join both shirts, the one Barcelona first used 43 years ago in a game against Liverpool FC and the new one which will first be used at the Sam Mamés against Athletic Club Bilbao on the 16th of August in a La Liga clash are almost identical respecting certain details that have evolved in the manufacturing of football shirts.
Thanks to a Barcelona fan and shirt collector (Dani Crespo) who owned the 1976 original and had just purchased the 2019/2020 shirt we can see the latest one has maintained itself faithful to the original design.
The novelties most noticeable on the present one are obviously concerning the material used these days by comparison to what was habitual pre-80s. These days shirts are made from polyester while back in the day they were made from 100% pure cotton and much more expensive to manufacture. For those that aren't aware, from cotton the bigger clubs then moved to silk which was extremely expensive but proved to offer a better method of dissipation of perspiration and grave the footballer a fresher feel while playing. Few shirts remain made from silk on the collector's market and they are worth a king's ransom. Other small differences with the new shirt are the 'Senyera' (Catalan Flag on the back of the collar), the collar itself is also different as it has changed from a crew neck to a slight v-neck, the Nike symbol and of course the sponsor (Rakuten).
A curiousity is that there was no crest! For an unconfirmed unknown reason that was the only season FC Barcelona decided to play without a crest on their kits. Some say that after Franco's death Barça didn't have the time to get new crests embroidered to change Barcelona CF (the club name change forced upon by the Francoist regime) to the origninal club name, FC Barcelona.
The original shirt saw the light on the 14th of April 1976 at Anfield in a Liverpool v Barcelona game that ended 1-1 corresponding to the UEFA CUP Semi-Finals. The shirt was manufactured at the time by a brand called 'Mont-Halt'. The owner of the brand was the then FC Barcelona President Agustí Montal i Costa (Barcelona 1934-2017). He was a businessman in the textile industry and made the kits for the club between 1969 to 1977 where then MEYBA took over. Agustí Montal i Costa's father Agustí Montal i Galobart had also been President of Barça between the years of 1946 to 1952.
@The Rebel CRS @Cannabis @Panna King