FC Barcelona released a brand-new retro collection as a homage to the 1992-95 Dream Team era of the club. The jerseys were inspired by the 1992 kits originally designed by the Italian firm Kappa.
The T-shirt features the complete aesthetic of the 1992 Kappa-designed ones. It includes the wide Blaugrana stripes, a polo spread collar, the classic cursive “Barça” script integrated throughout and an overall tonal jacquard pattern woven into the fabric.
The new retro collection also features blue shorts with side stripping, an 1899 striped knitted sweater and retro badge-inspired socks.
The only difference is that the original Kappa logo on the sleeves has been redesigned into a cursive “Barça” over a white background. The T-shirts were released featuring Barcelona stars Raphinha, Pedri and Gavi and as an in-house production by Barça rather than a reissue by Kappa.
Fans are distressed by the fact that there is no mention of the original maker’s name on the jersey or its logo. This is because the club cannot mention the original brand when they are releasing the jersey as an in-house production. The logos, crests and club colours belong to the clubs, not nostalgia manufacturers like Kappa in this case.
But lots of Barça fans are satisfied with the designs and are excited to buy them firsthand.
On the other hand, there has been widespread criticism from fans towards Nike, the club’s official manufacturer and brand partner for kits, after the release of the new retro jerseys by Barça themselves.
As per some users on X, Nike, being an official manufacturer of jerseys for Barça since 1998, has never been able to deliver a design like this, which is visually appealing to many. With comments like “Nike has really really fell off” under the Barça post.
Nike has already been facing backlash from the public for producing generic and reused templates for the Barça jerseys. The club has been considering alternatives to Nike since 2024, given that the club and the company had a rough patch in 2023 and in the years after. In 2020, there were also reported complaints from the club about the quality of some products Nike supplied.
Once, Barca president Joan Laporta said to RAC1 in 2024 that “ there’s a third, which is, through our business branch BLM (Barca Licensing & Merchandising), creating the kit ourselves. We don’t dismiss this third option, but the other two are definitely safer.” The first two options are staying with Nike or featuring other brands. Fans are speculating that Barça might have already started the third option with the release of the new retro jerseys.
The new retro jerseys of the Catalan giants have gained massive popularity as the “Blokecore” trend is everywhere and very popular, especially among the younger consumer groups.
Kappa designed the kits for FC Barcelona in the summer of 1992, when they replaced Meyba right after they won the European Cup. The jersey designed by Kappa was even termed an Aesthetic Revolution of the Blaugrana jersey.
It adopted a series of innovations comprising four blue and red stripes instead of three, a very thin white line across the chest to reinforce the contrast between the blue and red, and the entire surface of the shirt incorporated the word “Barça” (in the La Liga version), integrated into the fabric through a tonal effect that could only be seen under certain lighting conditions. Kappa gave a different, modern approach to the Barça jersey.
But the jersey faced a lot of criticism during its release; the white details in the kit reminded a certain portion of fans of Real Madrid imagery, and hence it became a matter of image portrayal and self-esteem.
It became a bigger debate about tradition, symbolism, and a sense of belonging during that period. The team’s casual tracksuit was also changed and dyed turquoise, and the training gear combined different shades of blue with turquoise details.
The backlash was so intense that Barça’s coach, Johan Cruyff, intervened in the matter in support of the fans. Hence, the company revised the jersey for the next season without the white detailing on the chest area.
The jersey that became so controversial was also the one that accompanied the Dream Team during some of its most glorious moments, it became associated with figures like Pep Guardiola, Ronaldo Nazàrio, José Mari Bakero, and, shortly after, Romário.
Kappa only made the Barcelona kits for six years, but it was a very important period in the club’s clothing history. The era marked a period of title wins for Barça. Under Johan Cruyff, they won four La Liga titles in a row, with the 1993 and 1994 titles completing the streak, a feat no club had achieved before.
It was also the period ( 1996-97) that marked a personal victory for Ronaldo Nàzario who secured a phenomenal 47 goals in all competitions, winning the Copa del Rey and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
The kit is one of the most sought-after pieces of the club, and their decision to introduce it to the market solely as a “ Barça” piece of merchandise rather than a Nike one might be one of the best moves their team has made in terms of finances. This would result in Barça receiving the entire profits from the kits themselves.
The new jersey is available on Barça’s official online store for € 69.99, and the shorts for €39.99. It is yet to be seen whether sales will boom for the retro collection or not.
