ew adidas kit that Spain will wear at next summer’s World Cup has sparked controversy because it appears to be in the colours of the republican flag that was Spain’s official flag between 1931 and 1939 and is still used by those who want to abolish the country’s monarchy.
The shirt is based on the jersey worn by Spain at the 1994 World Cup with yellow and blue flashes down the side of the red top.
But because on the 2017 version the yellow and blue merge it creates the optical illusion that the shirt is red, yellow and purple – the colour’s of the Spanish tricolour banned from the end of the civil war in 1939 by the Franco dictatorship until 1977.
The choice of colours sparked controversy because of the ongoing situation regarding Catalonia’s declaration of independence last month
The new design might not have caused such a furore but in the current climate sensitivities are heightened as Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence from the rest of Spain threatens to break up the country.
Spain’s King Felipe VI addressed the nation after the October 1 referendum in the region was deemed illegal by Spain.
The tricolour of red, yellow and purple is the flag adopted by the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939.
It started being used on April 27, 1931 after election results led to the abolition of the monarchy and the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic.
It replaced the familiar red and yellow flag identified with the monarchy and was used until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.
It continues to be used today by those who want to abolish the Spanish monarchy as well as trade unions and left-wing political groups.
He was applauded for his statesmanship by some but others were dismayed that he failed to condemn the police brutality used to prevent people voting.
His controversial appearance and the constitutional crisis over Catalonia mean a kit that looks like the old republican anti-monarchist flag was never going to pass without comment.
The president of Spain’s Football Association Juan Luis Larrea had to defend the kit on Monday saying: ‘It’s definitely blue, we have even tried it in the rain and it stays blue.’
The players will put on the shirt on for the first time on Wednesday at a special presentation in Madrid and they will wear it in action on Saturday against Costa Rica in a friendly in Malaga.
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