FC Barcelona are set to wear their new 2020/21 home kit in their La Liga game against Espanyol. The city rivals face-off against each other on either July 7 or July 8 at Camp Nou.
The Catalan giants need to take approval from the Professional Football League (LFP) in order to do so, but they don't consider it as an obstacle. Barcelona also wish to don their famous red and blue stripes in the forthcoming match-up against Napoli on August 8, but they'll have to receive permission from UEFA.
The shirt will be out on sale from July 3, while Barcelona's away jersey — black in colour — will be up for purchase a week after the home kit is made available.
Barcelona 2020/21 kit inspired by the 2010/11 season
Barcelona's 2020/21 kit is a blend of blue and red separated by yellow stripes and topped with a golden crew-neck. It was designed to celebrate the 2010/11 season under Pep Guardiola.
Barcelona claimed the domestic title with a whopping 96 points, four clear of bitter rivals Real Madrid at the summit. That season included 30 wins, with one of them being a 5-0 thrashing of Los Blancos in El Clasico. Guardiola, the most successful manager in Barcelona's history with 14 trophies, also steered them to the UCL crown by beating Manchester United at Wembley.
Goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa secured the win, with Wayne Rooney's equalizer at half-time proving to be an insignificant addition to the scoreline.
Additionally, the new jersey also takes inspiration from the club's rich history, remembering the success during the 1920s.
Barcelona will be hoping to remain at the top of the La Liga table with nine matches to go and Real Madrid hot on their heels in second place. They resume their season after the COVID-19 outbreak against Mallorca.
Current manager Quique Setien was sweating over the availability of Barcelona captain Lionel Messi, but recently confirmed that his captain is ready to play the entire 90 minutes.
Addressing the media ahead of the clash, he confirmed;
"He's ready to play, he's perfectly okay. He's trained well, there is no problem. Messi and a lot of these players know how to gauge things and how to save their strength when necessary. As for breaks, we'll see. For some, the more time they're on the pitch, the better."
Luis Suarez is also expected to return to the fold after a lengthy lay-off following surgery, and Setien mentioned that he would play some part in the game as Barcelona look to ease him into the scheme of things.
He added;
"Surely he is to be a starter, but not for the full 90 minutes. We will not take risks after five months. It will be good for him to play and he will need games to be the same as he was before."
Suarez could be substituted at half-time, but with Messi and most of the squad back, Barcelona should be confident of beating relegation-threatened Mallorca.