An artful presentation

CLUB

The Barcelona Contemporary Arts Museum was the venue on Tuesday for
the presentation of the FC Barcelona first team uniform for 2012/13

FC Barcelona President, Sandro Rosell, with the general director of Nike, Marcos Garzo / PHOTO: ÁLEX CAPARRÓS - FCB

Rosell pleas for freedom of expression

At the end of his speech, President Sandro Rosell said that he hopes that "all Barça fans can freely make their feelings heard at the cup final, that’s only to be expected”. He was speaking only a few hours after the President of the Community of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, had said that Friday’s match between FCB and Athletic Bilbao "should be suspended and played somewhere else behind closed doors” if there is any booing or jeering of the Prince or the Spanish Anthem.

There could have been no better venue than the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Barcelona (MACBA) for FC Barcelona and Nike to present the first team kits for the 2012/13 season. President Sandro Rosell was there along with vice presidents Javier Faus and Carles Vilarrubí, director Jordi Moix, director general Antoni Rossich, Director of Professional Football Andoni Zubizarreta and Nike director general, Marcos Garzo, among others.

Record sales expected

The Barça president spoke about the good relations between Nike and FC Barcelona, saying "we have been designing and improving for 15 years, considering the environment, our values and Catalonia. I hope the union persists for many more years. Through Barça’s bad period, Nike stayed at our side, renewing the contract, and we appreciate that”. Garzo also mentioned the future. "Both Barça and Nike want to keep on innovating, it is essential in order for us to keep improving”.

Both are convinced that the latest shirt will be biggest selling in club history, due to the enormous demand before the new design had even been officially presented on Tuesday.

A collection for everyone

Once the speeches were over, the attention moved into the adjacent hall, where the new kits were finally revealed, the most awaited moment of the day. There were as many as 20 mannequins on display, including one hanging from the ceiling, which got the media’s cameras flashing immediately. Each mannequin was clad in different garment, some sporty, others casual, some for men, others for women. In short, a collection made for every taste.