In-Depth | Getting the Best Out of the Worst FC Barcelona Home Kit
La Blaugrana: a name as synonymous with spectacular football kits as the legends that wore them. From the classic 1999-2000 hundredth anniversary FC Barcelona home kit to their perfectly modernized 2014-15 home kit, Nike have regularly demonstrated their ability to design great Barcelona home kits. Even when some of their away kits falter, Nike usually get their home kits spot on.
That was until the mid-2010s, which saw the release of many questionable designs, such as the hoops in 2015, and the Croatian checkers in 2019.
Nike started to release revolutionary designs in the mid-2010s
However, in 2021, Nike released the possibly worst Barcelona home kit of all time, and one of the worst kits Footy Headlines has ever seen.
Why is the 2021-22 FC Barcelona home kit bad?
A common scapegoat is the untraditional stripe graphic unique to this kit. We at Footy Headlines do not actually find this to be its defining shortcoming. Its prime deficiency lies within its misunderstanding of color theory. Well, and those half-half shorts, but we’ll address that later.
Color theory is a set of guidelines followed in design to ensure the appeal of color schemes. Essentially color theory determines what colors pair well with each other. Football kit design has its own color theory. Its adherence, or lack thereof, defines the aesthetic quality of football kits. We find the FC Barcelona 2021-22 home kit one of its worst offenders.
The FC Barcelona 2021-22 home kit pairs what Nike calls Soar, Noble Red, and Pale Ivory together. Respectively, these are a brighter saturated blue, a slightly darker shade of red, and essentially ecru. These colors chosen for the kit just don’t pair well, especially with the radical departure from the traditional Blaugrana stripes. Even though blau translates to blue, and grana translates to garnet, FC Barcelona rarely wear home kits with a brighter shade of blue than red. Usually, they are similar in shade, or the blue is significantly darker. This makes the pairing of these colors look odd for an FC Barcelona kit.
The kit also tries to pair ecru with the Soar and Noble Red. Ecru, derived from French, is the word used for the color of unbleached linen. Often compared to cream coloring, Ecru is a pale grayish yellow in color. Ecru has existed in fabrics and fashion for centuries, further establishing its classic aesthetic. Because of this, it pairs well with dark, rich, classy colors. Let’s look at a kit that used ecru to perfection: the Newcastle United 1995-96 away kit.
Barcelona's 2021-22 home kit was a missed opportunity by Nike, mainly because of the colors
Juxtaposed with the bleached white Tottenham kit, one can clearly see the coloring used for the Newcastle kit’s shorts is in fact ecru. The navy blue, cardinal red, and ecru pair immaculately, making for one of the most iconic kits of all time.
Now compare this masterpiece to the following atrocity:
The brighter modern blue, possibly the brightest shade ever used by the Catalan club, just doesn’t pair with the timeless ecru. The brighter shade of blue also doesn’t really work with the shade of red either, albeit in a less egregious manner. These colors just do not naturally work together and do not satisfy football kit color theory.
How Can the Barcelona 2021-22 Home Kit Be Fixed?
So now that we’ve demonstrated where Nike went wrong, we can fix those issues, and give the FC Barcelona 2021-22 kit the glow-up it deserves. We will be using the PES Master Kit Creator 2.0 to mock up concepts.
First off, to give this redesign a fighting chance, we have to ditch the harlequin shorts. We at Footy Headlines have yet to see an instance where a kit design pulled them off well, so we doubt anyone will mourn their loss.
Now onto the meat of this redesign: color correction. We’ve seen many redesigns of this shirt, some have even been reposted onto Footy Headlines itself. However, most of those have only shown off slight color corrections. We think we can go a step further and create what this shirt always should have been.
So there are two directions we can start off with in terms of color correction: embrace a corrected color scheme with the brighter blue and red, or alter those shades in favor of an ecru pairing. The first initial concept uses the brighter blue and red with traditional white and golden yellow accents, while the former opts for navy and cardinal with ecru accents.
Our concept is a bit inspired by this season's blue-red-navy kit
These do look better, we don’t anticipate much debating about that. However, we mentioned we wanted to go a step further with our final redesign. The latter doesn’t have much room for improvement, and the modern stripe pattern doesn’t suit it as well as the brighter scheme. For these reasons, we’ll build upon the brighter blue and red.
FC Barcelona 2021-22 Home Kit - Final Redesign
Going further, we can add some aesthetic depth to the look. We’ll do what many Barcelona home kits, including this year’s iteration, have done: utilize two shades of blue.
To prevent the mismatched red and blue sleeves from looking unbalanced, we can use navy for the collar, shorts, and sock foldover. We believe this is the best-case scenario for FC Barcelona.
Of course, football kit design is always a matter of opinion. Therefore, we let you vote on the original and our redesigned FC Barcelona 2021-2022 home kit.
Which kit should we redesign next? Let us know in the comments below.
PSG and Coca-Cola Reunite in Global Deal, Reveal Limited-Edition Collector Can
Paris Saint-Germain and Coca-Cola France have officially announced the return of their historic collaboration with a new global partnership running through 2029. The agreement revives a relationship that previously spanned over two decades, once again establishing the beverage giant as an official partner of the French champions. Alongside Coca-Cola, sports drink brand Powerade will also be integrated into the club's athletic and matchday setups, while a new experiential fan space is set to be introduced at the Parc des Princes.
To celebrate the renewed deal and PSG's 25-26 campaign, Coca-Cola is releasing an exclusive limited-edition collector can. Styled in the club's iconic blue, red, and white colors inspired by the classic Hechter stripe design, the can prominently features the PSG crest alongside Coca-Cola's signature branding. A limited run of 400,000 collector cans will be produced, hitting shelves starting October 12, 2026, across more than 650 Carrefour stores in the Île-de-France region while supplies last.
Chelsea Extend Partnership With FPT for 26-27 Season
Chelsea FC and global technology services provider FPT Corporation have officially announced the extension of their partnership into the 26-27 season. Under the renewed agreement, FPT will continue to collaborate with the Blues as a Global Partner, serving as the club's Official Digital Transformation Partner.
The collaboration originally began in 2025 and saw FPT elevated to Principal Partner status with sleeve branding during the 25-26 campaign. Despite earlier speculation suggesting the partnership might conclude, both parties reached an agreement to maintain their association across digital initiatives, artificial intelligence integration, and fan engagement projects.
Throughout their work together, FPT has contributed to several club technology projects, including the launch of the Megastore Express click-and-collect system as well as the revamped Official Supporters Club platform. The extension ensures the Vietnamese tech firm remains a key digital contributor at Stamford Bridge throughout the 26-27 season.
PT Prachuap 26-27 Away Kit Released
Thai League 1 side PT Prachuap FC and domestic sportswear brand Ari have officially unveiled the club's new away kit for the 2026-27 campaign.
The Ari PT Prachuap 26-27 away shirt is predominantly off-white with a sharp black V-neck collar. The flanks feature dynamic color-blocked panels in charcoal grey and vibrant orange, while a subtle tonal topographic map pattern is integrated across the torso as a nod to the coastal geography of Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The club's Killer Wasps crest and sponsor applications are styled in clean monochrome black.
Matching off-white shorts and socks detailed with orange top bands and black Ari branding complete the new PT Prachuap 2026-27 away uniform.
Atlético Celaya 26-27 Home Kit Released
Mexican brand Keuka has officially launched the new Atlético Celaya 26-27 home kit, which will be worn by the Liga Premier side in the upcoming campaign. The jersey was revealed during a special presentation event at the club's stadium and pays tribute to the Toros' rich history.
The Keuka Atlético Celaya 2026-27 home shirt features the club's traditional white base complemented by a prominent royal blue chevron across the chest. Integrated inside the V-shaped panel is a textured illustration of a charging bull, highlighting the club's iconic identity. A classic blue collar, blue sleeve cuffs, and navy and red sponsor details complete the look.
White shorts and socks complete the full Atlético Celaya 26-27 home uniform, which takes inspiration from retro designs worn throughout the team's historical campaigns.
Baniyas Club 26-27 Home Kit Released
UAE Pro League side Baniyas Club has officially unveiled its new home kit for the 26-27 season, produced once again by Italian sportswear brand Macron. The new jersey maintains the Abu Dhabi club's signature sky blue identity while introducing updated modern details.
The Macron Baniyas Club 2026-27 home shirt features a bright sky blue base complemented by a subtle heathered pattern across the raglan sleeves. Navy and white trims detail the crew neck collar and sleeve cuffs, while the Macron Hero logo sits on the right chest alongside the UAE flag placed centrally. On the upper back beneath the collar, the shirt features a discreet "BANIYAS 81" graphic celebrating the club's foundation year.
What do you think of Baniyas Club's new 26-27 home kit? Let us know in the comments below.
Adidas Hamburg 26-27 Originals Collection Released
German club Hamburger SV and Adidas have officially launched their retro-inspired Originals presentation collection for the 26-27 season.
The Adidas 2026-27 Hamburg og collection is based on the streamlined Adidas 2026-27 template.
Celebrating classic terrace style and heritage design, the lifestyle range prominently features the iconic Adidas Trefoil logo paired with the traditional HSV diamond crest. Dressed primarily in the club's signature royal blue, white, and black color palette, the capsule includes a presentation track jacket with a distinct white horizontal chest band, matching track pants, hoodies, t-shirts, a custom HSV Adidas Samba sneaker, and a standout long-sleeve shirt detailed with an all-over tonal Trefoil jacquard pattern.
Dynamo Dresden 26-27 Frauenkirche Special Kit Released
German club SG Dynamo Dresden and kit supplier Jako have unveiled a special-edition kit commemorating the 300th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the iconic Dresden Frauenkirche (1726–2026). Created in cooperation with the Stiftung Frauenkirche Dresden, the jersey honors one of the city's most defining architectural landmarks.
The outfield player shirt comes in an elegant, sandstone-inspired off-white base with a textured stone grain, highlighted by a large detailed illustration of the Baroque church across the lower front. The sleeves feature an interlocking block graphic symbolizing the church's sandstone construction, while the cuffs and collar feature subtle copper and patina-inspired accents. Thoughtful details include the commemorative inscription "300 Jahre Grundsteinlegung" on the chest, the years 1726–2026 on the back of the neck, and the biblical city motto "Suchet der Stadt Bestes" alongside custom squad numbers modeled after the seating numbering inside the church. A black version is available for goalkeepers.
The special kit is available for pre-order via a dedicated online store until September 2, 2026, priced at €89.99 for adult sizes and €69.99 for kids. As part of the collaboration, Dynamo Dresden is donating €10 from every jersey sold directly to the Stiftung Frauenkirche Dresden to support the preservation and cultural work of the monument.
Heracles Almelo 26-27 Third Kit Released
Heracles Almelo and technical partner Stanno have officially launched the club's new third kit for the 2026-27 season, celebrating the theme 'De Glorie van '27' in homage to their historic 1927 national championship.
The shirt features an elegant champagne beige base complemented by black accents on the crew neck collar, sleeve cuffs, and shoulder piping. A subtle tonal illustration of the legendary 1927 title-winning squad is printed across the lower front, while special details include a gold heart on the back collar, a custom inner neck label commemorating the date June 19, 1927, and matching beige shorts and socks finished with black trim and '1927' numbering.
