Why is Espanyol's new jersey so popular?

BarcelonaThe long queues that have formed at Espanyol's stadium shop since their first kit for the 2025-26 season went on sale last Thursday—the second, white kit was unveiled this Tuesday—confirm the success of Kelme's new design. "It has a style," retro that I like a lot. It's very pretty," he said Captain Javi Puado seeing it live for the first time, during the renewal ceremony of his contract with the club until 2030. The piece evokes the one worn by the team forty years ago, by the Catalan brand Massana, technical sponsor of the club between 1984 and 1994. It stands out for its polo-style collar and sleeves bearing the Massana logo, one of the most characteristic features of that shirt, which has become a museum piece.

It is by no means the first reissue by Espanyol, but never a model vintage had generated so much hype among fans, who have filled social media with photos of their new kit. But why is this design so popular? "It's the first kit they've ever bought," analyzes collector Albert Valor, who has more than 400 vintage football shirts in the closet.

The most iconic shirt in the club's history

"With a few small differences—the 1984-85 kit had an embroidered trim—that model was used from 1984 to 1992. No other modern home kit has been used as much. Before, new models didn't appear every season. It reminds me of Valverde, Lauridsen, and N'Kono," says the man, who owns more than a hundred Espanyol shirts. The first, a gift from his uncle, is the blue and white Massana, the club's most iconic; and his Holy Grail, precisely, is that of the Cameroonian goalkeeper: "My first football memory is from the 1982 World Cup. I was amazed by N'Kono, and because of him, I became a fan of Espanyol when he signed me."

"With this kit, Espanyol beat Barça 5-3, finished third in the 1986-87 League and played in the 1988 UEFA final; they lost on penalties in Leverkusen after eliminating the cream of the crop in Europe. Sacchi, eh? He was the one from Van Basten, Gullit and company," recalls Xavier Pujol, who has around 250 Espanyol shirts: around 180 are matchworn –used in the match– and a fortnight, from Massana.

His collection, kept in a private museum he has dedicated to the blue and white club in the basement of his home, is priceless: "It's very difficult to find original Massana shirts. At least the classic model can cost 200 euros. If it's a less common one, like the white or yellow away shirt, it's much more. matchworn They're even going up even more." That's why most of the ones on Wallapop and Vinted are fakes, at 30 or 40 euros.

Aside from the historical and sentimental value, the object also has an aesthetic component. "They haven't been able to match the blue tone of that Massana. It's one of the most beautiful shirts we've ever worn," says González. "The fans had asked many times for a reissue to be made and finally we have it. It's a total success," concludes the Barcelona collector.

What happened to Massana?

Massana, based in Mataró, was one of the major suppliers of football shirts at the end of the last century. Espanyol, Alavés, Cádiz, Nàstic, Sabadell, and Girona were its clients. It was also the company chosen to market clothing featuring the Barcelona Olympic Games logo and the Cobi mascot. However, it grew too large in a context of economic recession and, with the emergence of major international brands, abandoned the kit market. It is still alive today, but specializes in clothing. homewear.

The Barcelona-based Meyba, which dressed many La Liga teams—Barça, Atlético de Madrid, and Betis, among others—was also a benchmark of its time. It went bankrupt in the mid-1990s and, after several changes of ownership, recently has returned to the playing fields with the design of the kits of Sant Andreu and Júpiter. They are two modest but historic Barcelona teams that, like the new blue and white skin, recall the time when Catalan textiles dominated the Spanish football shirt market and competed in European finals.