Barcelona are set to sport the logo of popular pop band Coldplay when they take on Real Madrid later this month, per Sport. Hansi Flick’s side are set to travel to the Santiago Bernabeu on October 26th to reignite the two clubs’ rivalry in the first El Clasico of the 2024/25 season.
This is not the first time that the Catalan outfit have done such a thing, with the likes of Canadian rapper Drake and fellow British collective the Rolling Stones also having their names appear front and centre of the famous blue and garnet strip. The reason for this links back to a sponsorship deal the club signed back in 2022.
Artists have used the club’s kit to promote new music
The reason for the unique logo switch goes back to the deal Barcelona signed with Spotify when the music streaming site first became the club’s main shirt sponsor. As part of this, players have been made to promote new releases from several different artists by donning their likeness on the front of their kit.
As well as the aforementioned Drake and Rolling Stones partnership, the same has also been done with Colombian singer Karol G and Hispanic star Rosalia. All four have seen their records promoted during an El Clasico clash in the past.
The decision for Coldplay to appear comes shortly after they released their 10th studio album ‘Moon Music’ on October 4th. The group’s lead vocalist, Chris Martin, also announced recently when the band would be calling it quits, stating that they would be retiring from music following the release of ther 12th album to follow in the footsteps of musicians like The Beatles. The limited edition kits are likely to cost fans a pretty penny too, with the Rolling Stones version setting supporters back close to €400.
Coldplay’s Unique History With Barcelona
Pep Guardiola was a fan of the band and adopted one song as the club’s victory anthem
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Coldplay have been linked with the La Liga giants, as they played a small part during one of the most famous periods in the club’s history. Pep Guardiola adopted the hit song ‘Viva La Vida’ as his side’s celebratory anthem whilst in charge of the club.
As per talkSPORT, the band’s guitarist, Johnny Buckland, explained how much Guardiola’s decision meant to both the band:
“I was aware of Barca and I remember reading about it in those days and thinking, how incredible, because they were the best team on the planet at that time and played football from another galaxy, and it’s interesting because this song really took shape in Barcelona.
“We love playing it, especially here where it was born and where it has such a special meaning.”
Current boss Flick will be hoping that Coldplay’s magic rubs off on Lamine Yamal and co, as Barca’s recent record against their arch enemy is less than stellar. The La Liga leaders have lost seven of the last nine installments of the contest, with England international Jude Bellingham scoring the winner in both league fixtures last term.