Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of Barcelona – and Internazionale – joining forces with Nike, partnerships that remain strong to this day.
Still, in the way that a happily married person might sometimes engage in a bit of reverie to wonder what life might have been like with the one before The One, there’s a what-if with Barça and Kappa, who produced their kits from 1992-97.
At the time, the Italian firm’s introduction of white trim was something of a cause for concern among the culers but the fact that their designs were worn by players like Hristo Stoichkov, Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Romário, Gheorghe Hagi, Luís Figo, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, there remains an affection through association.
Two years after Barcelona and Kappa parted ways, the Kombat 2000 range was introduced, worn most notably by Italy and Roma. While the notion of the kits being skin-tight seems quaint when one looks back at the pictures, they were certainly far more streamlined than the baggy excesses of the mid-to-late 1990s.
For Barcelona versions, we have imagined a world where Kappa got rid of the white detailing but avoiding making navy too dominant a colour as Nike did early in their tenure. Silver-grey is used for the change kit as in real life in 2000-01, with the navy shorts and socks finding homes there instead.
As always, feedback and requests for future FKFs are welcomed. Comment below or tweet @museumofjerseys.
