The jerseys, an annual and meticulous 'delivery' for Espanyol

Last October, while the Espanyol by Vicente Moreno It started like a shot in LaLiga SmartBank, in the offices of the RCDE Stadium the marketing department met to finalize the design of the t-shirts for the following season. Everything was uncertain at that time in the first team, aware all the actors, both Kelme like the club, that the logical thing was a promotion, although nothing can be taken for granted in the sport and before a season with 42 days.

There was a clear idea. The club wanted to recover historic and triumphant jerseys, like the ones that finally saw the light of day on July 15. Two of them recall the famous UEFA of 1988 and the third kit was already used, with nuances, in the 1993-94 season of the promotion with Jose Antonio Camacho. But why should the process take nine months? “There is a lot of work behind and you must go well in advance to be able to dress our teams in July and August,” he explains to AS Toni Alegre, the club's marketing director.

It all started that October. Espanyol proposes the designs together with Kelme and in November the various improvements are applied. There are many aspects to discuss, from the type of material of the shirt to the style of the collar and even the evolutions that the brand itself can advise. The footballers participate in the decision and are always questioned with what materials or details in the garments they feel most comfortable with.

China-Barcelona, ​​a month of maritime transport

The marketing area coordinates the demands of other teams in the entity, from grassroots to women's football, the RCDE Special or veterans. In November the order is closed, with time, since Espanyol can need up to 50,000 items to dress your players taking into account socks, pants, tracksuit, t-shirt, bag, grim reaper, raincoats, walking clothes … A good part of these garments are used by grassroots football, the Escola, the RCDE Academy and the first teams. Also the coaching staff that go with them.

The first samples are received in March and it is in June that the entire order arrives. Kelme manufactures its garments in China, where it has a factory with up to 7,000 employees. In the Asian country they supply all the clubs of the Second Division, so the volume of work is brutal. The maritime transport between China and Barcelona is approximately one month, that is why the entity must go so far in advance. In this large order, the shirts that the club will have in stock are also counted. In September, after the first sales and the forecasts made, they place a second order for the Christmas season.

A story that repeats itself year after year. It is the meticulous delivery that Espanyol makes every season and that, after nine months of work, sees the light with the enthusiasm of the fans.