The Evolution of Barcelona's Iconic Jerseys Over the Last 10 Years

The Evolution of Barcelona's Jerseys Over the Last Decade

Spanish giants Barcelona are one of the most recognizable clubs in world football, thanks in no small part to their iconic jerseys. The classic blaugrana stripes are synonymous with one of the sport's most successful teams. While Barcelona's jerseys have largely maintained the same overall aesthetic over the years, the last decade has seen some bold iterations of the classic kit.

2010-2011: Return of the Stripes

After a brief dalliance with checkerboard panels the season prior, Barcelona returned to their roots in 2010-11, bringing back thick blue and burgundy stripes. The shirt marked the first season in charge for manager Pep Guardiola. He would lead a star-studded squad featuring Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta to La Liga and Champions League glory in the classic striped kit.

2011-2012: Gold Stripes and Champions League Glory

Barcelona added thin gold stripes to their jerseys in 2011-12, along with the Qatar Foundation as a first-time shirt sponsor. The gold stripes were an instant hit, and clearly brought good fortune as Barcelona won the league, Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup in 2011-12. However, their greatest achievement was winning the Champions League final against Manchester United in the kits.

2012-2013: An Asymmetrical Redesign

In 2012-13, Barcelona and Nike rolled out a dramatic redesign of the traditional jersey template. Gone were the balanced stripes, replaced by a series of asymmetrical blue and burgundy bars. It was a risky move that divided opinion among fans. While some appreciated the innovative look, others felt it strayed too far from the club's visual identity. Barcelona won La Liga in the uneven jerseys but lost the Champions League semi-final to future winners Bayern Munich.

2013-2014: The Return of Thicker Stripes

Barcelona returned to thicker, more traditional stripes for the 2013-14 season as Gerardo Martino replaced Tito Villanova as manager. Though not a full return to their 2010-11 jerseys, the less experimental design was better received by fans. Barcelona did not have a stellar season by their lofty standards though, finishing second in La Liga behind Atletico Madrid and losing in the Champions League quarterfinals to Atletico as well.

2014-2015: Horizontal Stripes and a Historic Treble

In 2014-15, Barcelona made a bold move by flipping the direction of their stripes to run horizontally rather than vertically. To the surprise of many, the unusual look was a huge success. Barcelona won an historic second treble under manager Luis Enrique with the La Liga title, Copa del Rey, and Champions League trophy. The horizontal stripes had ushered in another era of phenomenal success.

2015-2016: Hoops Return After Two Decades

Looking to recreate the treble magic, Barcelona brought back hooped jerseys in 2015-16 for the first time since the mid-90s. The retro design marked the end of the Enrique era and return of thinner stripes. While not as successful as the prior year, Barcelona won the domestic double of La Liga and the Copa del Rey in the hooped kits, led once again by the formidable attacking trident of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

2016-2017: A Nod to the 90s

Celebrating their 120th anniversary, Barcelona gave a nod to the 1990s with their 2016-17 jerseys. Though still bearing the blaugrana stripes, the shirts featured a retro crew neck collar and stripe pattern reminiscent of the era of Romario and Stoichkov. Barcelona won the Copa del Rey but finished second to Real Madrid in La Liga. They suffered a shocking Champions League quarterfinal upset against Juventus after winning the first leg 3-0.

2017-2018: Going Vertical Again

Barcelona returned to their vertical stripes once again in 2017-18, still with the vintage crew neck collar. After three seasons with a retro feel, Nike and Barcelona began looking to modernize the look once more. There was also a new shirt sponsor, with Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten replacing Qatar Airways. Barcelona won a domestic double of La Liga and the Copa del Rey but crashed out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals again, this time to Roma.

2018-2019: Checkerboard Sleeves Return

In 2018-19, Barcelona brought back checkerboard sleeve panels reminiscent of the Guardiola era, this time with a unique gradient design. The kits marked the return of thicker stripes, creating a look both classic and contemporary. Barcelona defended their La Liga crown with the jerseys but fell short in the Champions League after an epic semifinal against eventual winners Liverpool, featuring a 4-0 comeback by the Reds.

2019-2020: Back to the Basics

Looking for better Champions League fortune, Barcelona went back to basics in 2019-20. The jerseys featured clean, no-frills stripes in the traditional blaugrana colors. In addition to winning yet another La Liga title, Barcelona reached the Champions League quarterfinals before losing 8-2 to eventual champions Bayern Munich in Lisbon - their worst ever defeat in European competition.

The Next Decade

While Barcelona will likely continue to reinterpret their iconic jersey template each season, the classic blaugrana stripes are integral to the club's identity and will never go away completely. The last decade has seen some bold looks and wonderful highs along with a few controversies and lows. Going forward, Culés around the world will watch eagerly to see what the next era of Barcelona kits has in store as the club starts a new chapter.