Blau and grana: a short history of the stripes

FC Barcelona was founded on 29 November 1899 by a group of footballers led by Joan Gamper, a Swiss businessman living in the city. The blue and garnet colours appeared from the very first season, but the reason for choosing them was never written down.

The theories

One popular story says Gamper borrowed the colours of FC Basel, a club he knew from Switzerland. Another credits the Witty brothers, English founding members, who supposedly suggested the colours of their old school in Merseyside.

Whatever the origin, "blaugrana" became one of the most recognisable words in football. The stripes have changed width many times: narrow in the 1990s, wider in the 2000s, and even split into halves for a few seasons.

Stripes in Yerevan

In our shop you can find both the current stripes and two retro designs, the narrow 1992 stripes and the broad 2009 version. Which one is your favourite? Tell us in the comments.