The new Barcelona shirt has already generated millions in losses due to a design flaw

07/13/2020 - 13:00

• Clarín.com
• sports

If something was missing from Barcelona, ​​which runs behind Real Madrid in the Spanish League and can be left with nothing this season, it was to go short with one of its main sponsors. But it happened. A manufacturing error of the new shirt that Nike devised for the 2020-2021 season caused a large number of jackets that were distributed on the world market to start the return, with a million dollar financial loss .

What happened? The new clothing has a factory problem that fades at the first wash. Even with the same perspiration. A gross mistake that made the Catalan leadership stand on end and generated a serious break in the relationship between the Spanish and the American multinational.

The Vapor Match type shirt, the most expensive, would have no problems. However, the ones that are sold more massively, the Stadiums, yes. And therefore they cannot be marketed. 

The Spanish media echoed the information and, according to "Mundo Deportivo", there are several Catalan leaders who are adamant about the problem and demand that Nike take responsibility and advance the lost money . 

With the signatures of the Catalan President  Josep María Bartomeu at the head, together with the Vice President Oriol Tomàs and the executive Joan Carles Raventós, Barcelona sent a letter to Nike demanding compensation . Furthermore, there are threats to go to trial if talks seeking a solution are not resumed this week. 

Based on market studies from previous years, it is calculated that due to the delay of the exit, the loss of sales during the European summer ranges between 20 and 25 million euros .

The fury of the Catalans broke out when Nike unilaterally released both models without having gone through the official channels. In fact, according to the slogan "Depor", the new shirts can be obtained from various Catalan stores. However, they are not yet for sale on the official sites that Barcelona runs and, due to this manufacturing inconvenience, they were still unable to officially present them.

According to "Sport", these leaps in protocols stirred the waters in the institutional-business relationship. And it raised the temperature when Nike ordered to remove the failed shirts under a strict order that they be returned to the suppliers for "failure to make them."

The relationship between the multinational and Barcelona began in 1998 and lasts for a contract until 2026. The last renewal occurred during 2018, when Nike assured the Catalans a minimum annual income of 105 million euros and a maximum of 155 million .

Although the company did not formalize when the failed models will actually be on sale, it is estimated that they would only be available as of September. What is not in doubt is that until then new chapters of this saga will continue to be written.