Barcelona and Nike revealed their fourth kit of the season, one based on the Senyera flag. The yellow kit used on the road this season is said to be a homage to the 40th anniversary of La Masia and reminds Culés of the days of Johan Cruyff in a similar design.
The slogan for the kit reveal is ‘Ho Portems Dins’, translated from Catalan as ‘It’s deep within us’. Sergio Roberto and Vicky Losada, both born and raised in Catalonia, were the models for the unveiling on social media, along with other Catalans.
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— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 12, 2019
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The release of the fourth kit is unrelated to the ongoing protests surrounding Catalan Independence, and whether the club wants it or not, the kit could serve as a political statement. The club has always had a proud relationship with its Catalan heritage, and the new kit is a testament to their support of the region.
There are three different versions of the legend behind the four stripes on the Senyera. The more well-known is a legend that dates back to the 14th century, though the legend itself is from the 9th century. The four red bars are said to have been drawn on the the golden shield by King Charles the Bald using the blood of Wilfred I the Hairy. Wilfred was the Count of Barcelona, meaning he was the ruler of the region, and the legend says that he suffered fatal war wounds during the siege of Barcelona in 897. The legend became quite popular during the Catalan renaissance in the 19th century, though with Charles the Bald actually dying in 877, 20 years before the events of the legend, there is obvious skepticism to its truth.
Louis the Pious is the main figure in another version of the legend. The son of Charlemagne, Louis was tasked with conquering Barcelona in 801 and then defending it as a stronghold. The issue with this version is that Wilfred (Guifré) could have never met because Louis died prior to the former’s death.
A third version dates back even earlier to medieval times and it surrounds Ramon Berenguer I, the Count of Barcelona from 1035 to 1076. In this version of the legend, Berenguer painted the golden shield with his own blood. This version isn’t as well-known as the other two, but there is also no glaring historical inaccuracies like the other two.
