Barcelona's Colors: Why Is the Jersey Blaugrana?

Navy blue on one side, deep maroon on the other, separated by vertical stripes: the FC Barcelona jersey is one of the most recognizable in the world. The word "blaugrana," a contraction of "blau" (blue) and "grana" (garnet) in Catalan, has become a shorthand for the club itself. Yet, 125 years after its founding, no one knows exactly where these colors come from.

Several theories have been debated since the early 20th century. None has ever been definitively proven by formal written evidence. The club itself acknowledges this uncertainty. This article examines the origins of Barça’s colors, their evolution on the jersey, and their role in today’s Catalan identity.

A 125-year-old mystery

On November 29, 1899, at the founding meeting of FC Barcelona at the Gimnasio Solé, twelve enthusiasts decided to form a soccer club. No known minutes mention the choice of colors. No letter or written account from that time provides a formal explanation. When the jersey first appeared, it was already blue and maroon with vertical stripes, and this color combination would never be questioned again.

This lack of evidence explains why three main theories still coexist today, with none of them having gained complete acceptance. The club itself acknowledges in its own communications that there is no single official version of events. This is undoubtedly what gives the mystery its charm: 125 years later, the mystery remains unsolved, passed down like a legend from one generation of fans to the next.

The club’s founding context was already international in nature. It included the Swiss Joan Gamper, the Englishman Walter Wild, Germans, and Spaniards. The colors may simply have been chosen at the intersection of several traditions, with no single one officially taking precedence over the others. For more on the club’s founding context, see our full article on the history of FC Barcelona.

Witty's Theory and the English School

The most commonly cited theory revolves around the Witty brothers, Arthur and Ernest, two British men born in Barcelona to an English merchant father. Both attended Merchant Taylors’ School in Crosby, near Liverpool. The school’s colors are, in fact, blue and maroon, which appear on both school uniforms and sports attire.

According to this theory, the Witty brothers suggested these colors when the club was founded, as a tribute to their formative years. Arthur Witty also served as president of Barça from 1903 to 1905, which reinforces the idea that they played a role in shaping the club’s visual identity. This is the theory most widely accepted in Catalan literature on the subject.

This theory, however, has its limitations. According to the lists of founders published by the club, the Wittys were not present at the meeting on November 29, 1899. Their influence likely came to bear in the years that followed, which poses a chronological problem when trying to explain a choice of colors that was supposedly made at the time of the club’s founding.

FC Basel's Swiss squad

Another theory, put forward by some sports historians, attributes the choice of colors to Joan Gamper himself. Before moving to Barcelona, the young Swiss man reportedly played for FC Basel, a club founded in 1893, whose colors are also blue and red. The idea is that Gamper, when co-founding Barça, wanted to adopt the colors of the club from his youth.

This theory is appealing because of its simplicity. Gamper was from Winterthur, but his years playing sports in Switzerland brought him into contact with FC Basel. However, Basel’s red and Barcelona’s maroon are not exactly the same shades, which makes the direct connection debatable. FC Basel’s bright red should have been the dominant color rather than a deep maroon.

This hypothesis is not supported by any written account from Gamper himself. In the few texts he left behind, he never publicly addressed the issue of colors. The mystery therefore remains unsolved, despite the apparent plausibility of the Swiss hypothesis.

The Accountant's Pencil Hypothesis

The third, more colorful theory suggests that the colors were chosen from an accountant’s pencil. At the time, some pencils used in offices were two-toned: a blue lead and a red or maroon lead at both ends. Joan Gamper, an accountant by profession, is said to have used one to sketch out a kit design, and chance did the rest.

This anecdote is not corroborated by any contemporary sources from the time of the club’s founding. It seems more like an urban legend that emerged long after the fact, perhaps to add a touch of drama to a decision that no one could recall precisely. Nevertheless, it continues to circulate, a sign that the mystery fuels the fans’ imagination.

Other, less widely accepted theories suggest a connection to the colors of the Catalan Pyrenees or to the flags of local institutions from the 19th century. None of these has really managed to gain traction against the three main theories. The debate remains open, and the club has never sought to settle it.

125 Years of Jersey Evolution

While the colors have remained the same since the team’s founding, the jersey’s design has evolved significantly. In the early 20th century, the stripes were thin and numerous. Between the two world wars, they became wider. In the 1970s, the arrival of apparel sponsors altered the proportions. But the blue-and-maroon combination has never been called into question, unlike many clubs that have changed their color schemes over the course of their history.

The away jersey, on the other hand, has seen far more variations: yellow, white, black, green, orange, and even pink at times in the 2010s. But the home jersey remains sacred. No kit manufacturer (Meyba, Kappa, Nike since 1998) has ever dared to alter the blue-and-maroon base, despite a few experiments that were vehemently rejected by the fans. To follow this evolution, see our article dedicated to the history of the Barça jersey.

Blaugrana as a symbol of identity

Beyond their origins, these colors have become a powerful symbol of identity. During the Franco regime (1939–1975), wearing the Blaugrana jersey was one of the few ways to publicly display one’s attachment to Catalonia. Blue and maroon thus took on a political and cultural significance that went far beyond the realm of sports.

This aspect remains very much alive today. During matches at Camp Nou, fans often blend the club’s colors with those of the senyera, the yellow-and-red Catalan flag. The line between club identity and regional identity is blurring. To explore this aspect further, see our analysis of the motto “Més que un club.”

The Blaugrana has thus become more than just a color combination: it is a symbol of identity, an unspoken banner, a legacy passed down from generation to generation. Whether its origins are English, Swiss, accounting-related, or Catalan ultimately matters little; what matters is what it means today to the millions of fans who wear it.

Key Takeaways

• The word "blaugrana" comes from the Catalan words "blau" (blue) and "grana" (garnet).
• The exact origin of the colors is not documented in any records from the foundation in 1899.
• Witty's theory attributes the choice to the English brothers who were educated at Merchant Taylors' School in Crosby, which had the same colors.
• The Swiss theory suggests that Joan Gamper paid homage to the colors of FC Basel, where he is said to have played.
• Another colorful theory suggests that Gamper used a two-tone accounting pencil.
• The blue-and-maroon home jersey has remained essentially unchanged for 125 years, unlike the away jerseys, which have varied greatly.
• Under Franco’s regime, the Blaugrana became a symbol of Catalan identity, and has remained so ever since.

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