Barcelona have found themselves at the center of a bizarre controversy that has nothing to do with transfers, tactics, or results—but rather their matchday kits. Reports in Spain confirm that the Catalan giants, under new coach Hansi Flick, are currently not allowed to wear any of their three newly released jerseys at the start of the 2025/26 La Liga season.
Forced to Wear Last Season’s Kit Against Mallorca
This unusual situation became evident during Barcelona’s opening league fixture against Mallorca. Instead of debuting one of their brand-new kits, the Blaugrana were forced to step onto the pitch in their lime green third kit from last season (2024/25).
For many fans, this kit brings back unwanted memories—it was the same jersey worn during Barcelona’s painful Champions League semifinal exit last season. However, on this occasion, the so-called “cursed” shirt did not haunt them. Barcelona delivered an impressive performance, securing a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Raphinha, Ferran Torres, and rising teenage star Lamine Yamal.
Why La Liga Rejected Barcelona’s New Kits
The mystery was quickly solved after reports from Spanish daily Sport revealed that the ban came directly from La Liga’s strict ‘Kit Selector’ regulations.
The league operates a system where every jersey must be approved before being used in official matches. The main goal of the process is to avoid color clashes that could make it difficult for referees, players, and TV audiences to clearly distinguish between teams.
Unfortunately for Barcelona, all three of their new kits for the 2025/26 campaign failed this approval process for the opening game. La Liga deemed that the color combinations clashed with Mallorca’s home kit, including Barcelona’s yet-to-be-released orange third kit.
The Problem Continues Against Levante
Barcelona fans hoping to finally see the team’s fresh designs in their second match of the season are in for disappointment. According to reports, the same issue will repeat itself when Barcelona face Levante in the upcoming fixture.
Levante’s home colors are also considered too similar, meaning Barcelona’s new home, away, and third kits are once again prohibited from being worn. As a result, Hansi Flick’s squad are highly likely to take the field once more in the lime green third kit from last season.
A Temporary Crisis or a Long-Term Issue?
This strange situation has sparked plenty of debate among fans and pundits. Some argue that Nike and Barcelona’s design team should have foreseen the possibility of such clashes before launching the new kits. Others place the blame on La Liga’s excessively rigid rules, which are stricter than those in most major European leagues.
For now, Barcelona can only hope the issue is resolved before their Matchday 3 clash with Rayo Vallecano, when they might finally be cleared to wear one of their 2025/26 jerseys for the first time.
Regardless of the outcome, the controversy has already made headlines across Spain and beyond, adding yet another chapter to Barcelona’s eventful history—this time off the pitch.
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