DESPITE having only just unveiled its new strip for the forthcoming football season, premier league club FC Barcelona has already presented the design for its 2021-2022 shirt, and which has been met with mixed feelings by fans.
The pictures were released as an 'exclusive' to the sports world magazine Mundo Deportivo, which has run a poll on what supporters think of it.
For reasons that have not been specified, a whopping 77.41% say they do not like it 'at all', and only 14.22% like it 'very much'.
Of the remainder, 3.03% 'quite like it'; 2.38% are 'neither here nor there' about it; and 2.96% say they 'do not like it very much'.
In total, 9,913 fans have given their views.
The design, in the club's traditional colours, blue and maroon – which is what gives Barça its nickname of azulgrana – is based upon the team's coat of arms, featuring its Saint George's Cross, or Sant Jordi's, in catalán, in tribute to the patron saint of Catalunya whose 'day' is celebrated on April 23, as it is in England.
It also follows the coat-of-arms pattern by including four maroon stripes on a blue background, reflecting the senyera, or Catalunya regional flag, which is in yellow and red.
Otherwise, it has maroon sleeves and a mostly-blue background, with the standard coat of arms on the left-hand side of the breast and the logo for Nike, the designer, on the right-hand side.
The sponsor's name will be emblazoned across the top of the rib-cage.
At the moment, this is the Japanese electronics firm and online retailer Rakuten, whose contract with Barça is due to expire in 2021.
The club is keen to renew the sponsorship deal with Rakuten, although the above-pictured design may change to accommodate a new investor's name if this turns out not to be the case and a different sponsor is engaged for the start of next year's season.
Special thanks to Mundo Deportivo ('MD'), the first to release the above photograph this week.
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