From skin to pitch: Espanyol embraces Catalan identity

BarcelonaIn the Copa Catalunya final, Espanyol debuted its third kit, a navy blue colorway with the flag across the chest and neck. "It's inspired by the rich history and culture of Catalonia" and "is perfect for those who want to show their pride in Catalonia and Espanyol," the club proclaimed when unveiling the shirt, with a clear, Catalan slogan: "The shirt is our flag."

The flag had never appeared on the front of the blue and white team's home shirt, although it has been embossing symbols of the territory on its skin for almost two decades and claims to be a football club from Catalonia and the city of Barcelona. The recently unveiled 125th anniversary logo is a Barcelona panot, an official Barcelona panot, Catalanized in 1995: Real Club Deportivo Español de Barcelona.

In 2008, the club designed an away shirt with a large Sant Jordi cross; in 2009, they screen-printed the names of Catalonia's towns and villages on the garment; and in 2020, all their kits were inspired by Antoni Gaudí's brittle. The flag, in small print and on the back of the neck, has appeared on all of the entity's jerseys Since the 2013-14 season, it has become a distinctive feature of the Espanyol team's kit.

"Whoever doesn't respect Catalonia doesn't respect Espanyol."

"This all started when Daniel Sánchez Llibre was president. With Antonio Martín, who was also a shareholder, we pushed to introduce these symbols on the kits," Joan Collet, former regional minister and president of Espanyol between 2012 and 2016, told ARA.

"It's not a political issue, right? Those who see the flag as a political issue are surely the ones who don't want it. It's a symbol of identity for a Catalan club, and it shouldn't be news that it's worn on the shirt. I always say the same thing: whoever doesn't respect Catalonia, doesn't respect Espanyol; and whoever respects Espanyol, respects Catalonia," he reflects. He spoke out against institutions, rival clubs, or "the small group of fans that Espanyol has" who are against this idea.

"It must also be said that the flag shouldn't be put up out of obligation or so that other clubs do. Blue," concludes the last Catalan president in the club's history, predecessor of Chen Yansheng.

The American could soon succeed the Chinese in office. Alan Pace, who bought the club, who a few days ago communicated for the first time with the Blanquiazul fans through a message on social media in Catalan and English. Although he is fluent in Spanish, Pace, who had the help of the club's communications department, preferred to address the parakeets in the native language of Catalonia.

A commitment to Catalan talent

"For culture, philosophy, and sense of belonging, our priority is the Catalan player," Fran Garagarza stated at the presentation of the Blanquiazul youth team a few months ago. The Basque player is determined to have 50% of the first team players trained under Dani Jarque or be Catalan, and is leading a strategic plan to achieve this medium-term objective, which ranges from training and attracting talent at the grassroots level to the signing policy of the sports department he heads.

The signings of Ramon Terrats, Marcos Fernández, and Hugo Pérez, and the renewal of Barcelona's Javi Puado, point in that direction. The fact that three of the four first-team captains are Catalan—Puado, Pol Lozano, and Edu Expósito—and that Manolo González started the preseason with 18 players trained in the Blanquiazul youth academy or born in Catalonia, as well as the design of the third jersey featuring the flag, confirm Espanyol's commitment.