What’s the story?
Barcelona’s kits for the upcoming season has been leaked online and Spanish newspaper Sport have obtained exclusive image of the three kits, which feature the club’s new shirt sponsors – Rakuten. The Japanese firm will be replacing Qatar Airways as the club’s main sponsor from next season onwards and their name along with their logo can be seen across the front of the jersey.
The news kits are very different to the ones that were leaked online back in December, which looked to be prototypes of sorts.
In case you didn’t know…
Barcelona’s sponsorship deal with Rakuten is one of the biggest deals in the history of football and could see the club overtake arch-rivals, Real Madrid, to become the wealthiest club in the world.arch-rivals Real Madrid to become the wealthiest club in the world.
The Catalan giants are set to earn £47 million annually as part of the deal with the Japanese firm, who are currently valued at $17 billion. Apart from that, the Camp Nou outfit will also pocket millions in bonuses whenever they win La Liga or the UEFA Champions League.
The deal between the two parties will commence at the start of the next season and will last for the next 4 years until 2021. However, there is an option to extend the deal for a 5a 5th year but that will depend on both Barcelona and Rakuten agreeing to it.
The heart of the matter
The home kit for the upcoming season feature the traditional Blue and Red vertical stripes, albeit they have been changed slightly to make the design more asymmetrical. The away kit is red in colour and is in stark contrast to the current Black and Purple kits that are in place.
Meanwhile, the third kit is turquoise in colour and is very similar to the one used by the Camp Nou outfit during the 2015-16 season.
What’s next?
It might take a while for the Barcelona faithful to get used to the new colours that will be adopted by their beloved club. However, for now, all their attentions must be focused on the Blaugrana’s crunch game against Eibar on Sunday.colours that will be adopted by their beloved club. However, for now, all their attentions must be focused on the Blaugrana’s crunch game against Eibar on Sunday.
The Catalan giants need to win on Sunday and hope that arch-rivals Real Madrid – who are three points ahead of them in the points table – lose their encounter against Malaga, which will help the Camp Nou outfit win their 26th La Liga title. Los Blancos, on the other hand, need just a point from the final game to win the title.
Author's Take
Barcelona are preparing for a summer overhaul to help the club once again challenge for top honours after a dismal 2016/17 – at least by their standards. The new sponsorship deal and the new kits are the first steps towards this and the fans will be hoping that this season was just a minor blip and that the club can succeed going forward.
