The Blaugrana will don their third strip for
Saturday's La Liga clash in a unique move which will also see the
visitors wear the colours of the Basque flag
By Kris VoakesBarcelona will wear the colours of the Catalan flag in a home fixture for the first time in their 115-year history on Saturday.
For the visit of Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, the Blaugrana have decided they will wear the yellow and red striped strip which acted as their away kit last season and is now used as their third-choice outfit.
The strip, known as the ‘Senyera’ after the name of the Catalan flag which it resembles, has been a big hit with fans of the club. It has also been seen as the latest move by the club to affiliate itself with the push for Catalan independence.
For their part, Athletic will be wearing their second-choice kit of a green shirt, white shorts and red socks, which itself resembles the Basque flag known as the Ikurrina.
Barcelona’s decision comes in the week of the National Day of Catalunya on September 11, but a club statement has insisted that is not the reasoning behind the change.
“The Senyera shirt is not being worn because of September 11,” the statement said. “We are doing it to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the fall of Barcelona at the hands of the troops of Phillip V and the French in 1714.”
The matchday three fixture at Camp Nou kicks off at 16:00 CET on Saturday.
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