At ten in the morning the Barcelona anthem played and the FCBotiga del Camp Nou opened its doors. Afterwards, only The Rolling Stones blared from the store’s speakers. Twenty fans were waiting outside. It wasn’t just any Monday. The limited edition shirt that Barça will wear for the classic with the lips and tongue of the legendary rock band on the chest was put up for sale, thanks to the sponsorship of Spotify. And there was anticipation. Like the first day of sales. But, at a small discount: 399.90 euros, the piece was worth it.
Marta arrived at eight o’clock. She wanted the shirt for her husband. “It’s for his birthday, but now I don’t know if I’ll hold out until the day”, confessed the lady. She was the first. Alberto, retired, didn’t get up that early. “I came at a quarter to ten. I didn’t expect to be among the first, so I’m happy”, he explained to this newspaper.
At one of the three checkouts that were open while the most eager shoppers waited, he asked for the membership discount. For 10%, the shirt cost him 360 euros. “I’ll wear it on Saturday”, confessed Alberto. But he wanted it so much that he couldn’t contain himself and ended up starring in a half-striptease to leave the store already dressed in the elastic he had just paid for. “I will frame it. It’s a historic shirt”, said Adrià and Ferran.
Josué went there on an errand. “A friend from Honduras asked me for it. Now he has to pay me”, he laughed. The same thing happened to Rucky, a Thai resident in Barcelona. “I like Iron Maiden or Metallica more”, suggested for future collaborations a third party who also did the favor.
Josep Maria Meseguer’s cell phone was blowing smoke. The BLM director was on site checking the success of the release. “The only doubt is whether they will sell out in the morning or in the afternoon. Only this”, he predicted in La Vanguardia.
And he wasn’t misguided. At eleven o’clock, there were only shirts from the women’s team left on the website. Barcelona reserved for physical stores around 700 of the 1,899 shirts that went on the market. “Here, at the Camp Nou, we have 500 units”, said a clerk while Jagger’s voice sang Crazy Mama and Let.
“In the first half hour we only sold Stones T-shirts”, confessed a cashier, who was stunned when Lluís showed up with two units. “For me and my cousin. I’ve seen them live four times. My brother has the signatures of all three of the band. We are all big fans in the family.” The 720 euros didn’t hurt him.
But the classic shirt is not the only piece. Barça has launched a whole collection: T-shirts (39 euros), hoodies (75) and caps (39), all with the tongue next to the shield and Barça scarves with the title of the song Start (24.9 ), i.e. Turn me on.
The shirt is not for every pocket. That’s why Víctor’s friends, when they saw the news about the special edition, decided to get together for the birthday present. “We are 30: from the university, from work, from the theater… He is almost more of a fan of the Rolling Stones than of Barça, and he is a big fan of Barça.” So, Victor, if you’re reading this, make a surprised face at the party.
