On July 27, Barcelona will play another exhibition match in the United States, this time against Arsenal. Due to the fact that the first match against Juventus had to be postponed because of the virus, this will be the first time that the Catalan giants compete in front of the supporters of their home nation.

In the encounter against the Gunners, Barcelona will wear a white kit, which is an unusual choice for the club given its long and illustrious history.

Why does Barcelona not encourage its fans to wear white shirts?At the turn of the century, the most common color for Barcelona’s second kit was white. This color was frequently matched with blue for the shorts and the socks. However, Barcelona did not wear this shirt again after the 1979 Winner’s Cup match against Ipswich Town at Portman Road. After that match, they never wore it again.

As a result of the long-standing rivalry that exists in Spain between Barcelona and Real Madrid, this event took place. White uniforms are viewed negatively by Catalan fans because they are too similar to those worn by their opponents. As a result, players are not allowed to wear this gear when competing in Barca matches. In 2019, Barcelona turned down a request from Nike to design their main white away kit because they were concerned that it would be too similar to Real’s kit.

What is the significance of Barcelona playing in white during the 2023/24 season?In contrast, everything was different for the 2023–2024 season. Barca claims that the choice to play in white uniforms this season is a way to honor the life and career of the late legend Johan Cruyff. He was the last legendary player from a Catalan team to play in a white shirt throughout the 1970s.

One of the most iconic images of the Dutch legend while he was playing for Barcelona is one of him wearing a white shirt at Villa Park for a European Cup match against Aston Villa in the 1977–1978 season. The match took place in the European Cup. On March 1, 1978, the team played in the UEFA Cup and ended up drawing 2–2. Cruyff was the captain of the team and scored a goal.

Additionally, FC Barcelona’s original emblem, which the club first wore in 1978, will be featured on the team’s home shirt for the 2023–24 season. According to the statement made by the club, the decision to show it off in Los Angeles was made as a kind of homage to Johan Cruyff, who played for the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1979.