Messi business! FC Barcelona stars in a sweat over new shirts

Barça stars complain Nike gear soaks up too much sweat and more than doubles in weight in the first 45 minutes It was supposed to be the sports business marriage from heaven. Nike makes the kit for European Champions FC Barcelona and both share the income from millions of shiny claret-and-blue shirts bearing the names of living legends such as Leo Messi. The shirts are more than just presents for children and paunchy middle-aged fans. They are also meant to make the players’ lives easier on the pitch, improving performance and helping the team win more titles. But embarassed Barcelona officials have now admitted that the players are unhappy with the shirt, complaining that it soaks up sweat to become a heavy, skin-clinging nuisance. Players have even taken to weighing their shirts on the scales at half-time to see how much weight they have gained, according to Spain’s El País newspaper. A shirt that weighed 200 grams at the beginning of a match can now weigh up to two and half times as much just 45 minutes later. Dressing room sources told El País that players noticed during a pre-season tour of the US that the shirt “weighed a tonne” and “stuck to the body like a limpet”. They hoped the problem would not persist when they returned to the more forgiving weather conditions in Spain, but on Friday the club called a meeting with Nike to seek solutions. Nike said it has begun testing the shirt. “Nike’s product team is working to address concerns with the FCB home jersey,” a spokeswoman said. “All product concerns are treated with the utmost importance and a solution is expected when all appropriate testing is completed.” Major clubs can sell more than 1m shirts a year, and Barcelona had said this season’s design looked set to break records. The much-vaunted eco-friendly shirt, said to use the recycled plastic of a dozen water bottles in a single garment, reportedly uses a version of Nike’s Dri-Fit fabric, made of polyester microfibres to help wearers stay dry and comfortable. Nike’s website boasts that the official Barcelona shirt it sells for £55 is “a game-ready performer with sweat-wicking fabric for distraction-free competition”. The description does not seem to fit the shirts worn by the club’s players. Barcelona Spain Europe European football Giles Tremlett guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 26, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.