Barcelona Reveal 2017-18 Away Kit Design Inspired by Club's History

Barcelona have unveiled an electric blue away kit for the 2017-18 campaign that pays homage to the club's past and traditions. 

The team posted the following snap of some star names in the jersey on their Twitter feed on Thursday with an accompanying tagline of "the shirt that never sleeps":

In a statement on their official website, Barca revealed the design has been "inspired by the club's history and culture on the collar, which is partially defined by the Catalan flag, the Senyera."

As well as the trim on the collar, "Forca" is written on the right sleeve and "Barca" is stitched onto the left to "remind of inner club pride." Under the left sleeve there is blue trimming and under the right there is a red panel.

The club posted a different view of the jersey on their Twitter feed:

In the bulletin on the club's website, more details are revealed about the design of the jersey. Aeroswift technology has been used by designers Nike to ensure "cutting-edge performance, replete with contemporary detailing."

Barcelona also added that "the shirt's engineered knit zones, creating a subtle geometric pattern, enhance fit for the athlete in motion."

As is often the case with such vibrant colours, the kit is set to split opinion. Joe Rimmer of the Liverpool Echo isn't a big fan:

Barcelona have paid tribute to their Catalan background in their away kits previously, often a lot less subtly than their new design.

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

In the 2013-14 season, the away strip used by Barcelona had the Senyera flag controversially imprinted onto the shirt in a brash show of regional pride. However, as reported by Ben Hayward of Goal, the team struggled to perform when donning the colours, prompting some theories that the outfit was cursed.