A landmark moment for FC Barcelona took place 50 years ago that went unnoticed at the time, but on looking back was pretty significant. On that day, football first team captain Johan Cruyff wore the senyera armband for the first time in the history of the Club within a landscape yet to be fully defined. The death of the dictator Francisco Franco in November 1975 gave way to a period that was marked by the winds of an arduous and complicated transition to democracy in Spain.

All the same, the board of directors of FC Barcelona, with Agustí Montal Costa as president, felt more assured in the new scenario than when the dictatorship was still in place: their approach and sensibilities at that time supported a liberal and Catalanist feeling that resonated with the emerging spirit of the period. Back on 21 July 1975, when the dictator was still alive, the Club was already back using Catalan as its official language, and on 28 December that same year, senyera flags were seen in the stands of the Camp Nou during a Barça v Real Madrid match shown on television channel TVE.

Having already taken the aforementioned steps, the board of directors continued to show they had no issue in ensuring the identity of the captain and FC Barcelona were quite clear, an institution that had defined itself as “More than a club” some eight years earlier in the words of then president Narcís de Carreras.

The opponent on that first of February 1976 also shared a sense of pride for their local roots in Athletic Club. Johan Cruyff proudly wore the senyera on his left arm and the celebration was completed by the blaugranes winning 2-1, with goals by Asensi and Neeskens from the penalty spot, with the captain playing superbly well, maybe feeling particular motivation given the symbolism he wore on his arm.

The significant change in the captain's armband wasn't made public, however. Neither the Club announced it before the game nor the press highlighted it after the match. It was just over two months after the death of the dictator.

The origin of the captain's armband

The armband sets the captain apart from the rest of their teammates. It was used for the first time in the Spanish league in the 1974/75 season. The blaugrana captain at the time was defender Antoni Torres, who wore a white armband simply because it contrasted with the colours of the kit. That same season saw Johan Cruyff lead the team out for the first time in a competitive game on 1 December 1974.

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