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October 17, 2024
Barcelona has announced that Coldplay’s logo will appear on the front of the team’s shirts during the men’s Clásico against Real Madrid on Oct. 26 as part of the club’s ongoing sponsorship with Spotify. The iconic British band will also feature on the women’s jerseys for their Liga F match against Eibar on Nov. 2.
Alongside the shirts, Spotify, Barça, and Coldplay are launching a limited-edition merchandise collection, including T-shirts, hoodies, and scarves. Coldplay is the fifth act to design a special Barça shirt, following Drake, Rosalía, Karol G, and The Rolling Stones.
The logo, a series of moons inspired by Coldplay’s new album “Moon Music,” will replace Spotify’s branding on the front of the shirts. Coldplay holds a special place in Barça’s recent history. Pep Guardiola used their song “Viva la Vida” in a motivational video shown to players before the 2009 Champions League final, which they won against Manchester United. The track became a fan favorite, and the band members—Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion—have even been invited to Barça’s training sessions at Sant Joan Despí.
In 2023, Coldplay performed sold-out concerts at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium, which later became Barça’s temporary home due to the redevelopment of Camp Nou. The concerts were attended by current and former Barça players, including Lionel Messi, whose name fans chanted in hopes of his return to the club before his move to Inter Miami CF.
Barça hopes their shared history with Coldplay finds them luck when they wear the band’s unique shirts in the upcoming Clásico against Real Madrid. Their first music collaboration, featuring Canadian rapper Drake, ended in defeat to Los Blancos in October 2022. A win followed when Barça wore Rosalía’s “Motomami” logo. Still, back-to-back La Liga defeats occurred during partnerships with The Rolling Stones and Karol G.
The women’s team, however, has fared better, beating Real Madrid, Sevilla, and Villarreal while wearing the Rosalía, Rolling Stones, and Karol G jerseys.
Arsenal suffered their first season defeat, losing 2-0 to Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium on Saturday. The Gunners controlled the game until the 30th minute when Leandro Trossard’s careless pass left William Saliba vulnerable. This resulted in a red card for a foul on Evanilson that VAR ruled as denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Some strong goalkeeping from David Raya kept the game goalless until halftime.
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo was a constant threat and nearly scored just after the break, but his effort went wide. Arsenal had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Mikel Merino intercepted Kepa Arrizabalaga’s pass and set up substitute Gabriel Martinelli, whose shot was saved. Two minutes later, Ryan Christie capitalized on a Bournemouth corner to put the hosts ahead.
A poor pass from Jakub Kiwior led to a penalty, which Justin Kluivert converted to double Bournemouth’s lead. Arsenal looked defeated, with Mikel Merino being subbed off late in the match.
Despite the defeat, Mikel Merino delivered a strong performance and seemed to fit nicely into Arsenal’s system. Declan Rice was another standout, excelling in midfield with his defensive contributions.
The absence of Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka was felt as Arsenal’s attack struggled to create promising chances. William Saliba’s upcoming suspension also means he’ll miss the next Premier League match against Liverpool.
6 – Mikel Arteta had limited control over the outcome after individual mistakes led to punishment. However, his team could have led if Gabriel Martinelli had converted a critical chance.
GK David Raya, 5 – Raya was shaky when dealing with crosses and misplaced a pass straight to Alex Scott in the first half. Although he made some crucial saves to keep the game level at 0-0, his inconsistent display culminated in giving away a penalty.
DF Gabriel Magalhães, 6 – Gabriel made several critical clearances and blocks but wasn’t as impactful as usual during attacking set-pieces.
DF William Saliba, 4 – Saliba was in control until he was sent off after a VAR review for pulling down Evanilson, denying a clear goal-scoring chance. With some distance to the goal, Saliba may regret not relying on his pace instead of committing the foul.
DF Riccardo Calafiori, 6 – Lost track of Antoine Semenyo at the back post early in the second half but escaped punishment thanks to a poor finish. Showed good attacking intent by driving forward into midfield, helping create some half-chances.
DF Ben White, 5 – Struggled defensively, beaten too easily on several occasions, and picked up a yellow card for time-wasting when the score was 0-0.
MF Mikel Merino, 7 – Calm and composed in possession, especially in advanced areas, and combined well with Raheem Sterling before being subbed after the red card. His intelligent positioning helped cut off passing lanes, and he created Arsenal’s best chance, setting up Gabriel Martinelli with a timely interception.
MF Declan Rice, 7 – Provided a solid defensive anchor, especially when Arsenal were down to 10 men. Anticipated danger well and cleared the ball when necessary while working hard to push the ball forward into attacking areas.
MF Thomas Partey, 6 – Progressed the ball effectively from deep, often stepping into the center-back role to form a back three. He had a minor fault in either goal Arsenal conceded.
FW Kai Havertz, 6 – Worked hard with limited service, making positive runs at the defense and creating a few half-chances.
FW Leandro Trossard, 5 – His careless pass to Saliba led to the red card that shifted the game against Arsenal. Largely ineffective otherwise and was replaced by Gabriel Martinelli in the 64th minute.
FW Raheem Sterling, 5 – Stayed wide to stretch the field and had a moment where he cut inside to challenge his defender. Still, he struggled to make an impact with limited opportunities. Subbed off for tactical reasons after Saliba’s red card.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating):
Jakub Kiwior (Sterling, 37″), 4 – A match to forget for Kiwior, who struggled with Antoine Semenyo’s pace early on. His under-hit pass led to Raya conceding the penalty, and Arteta later subbed off him. He failed to provide the defensive stability Arteta was looking for.
Gabriel Martinelli (Trossard, 64″), 5 – Made an immediate impact, getting involved in Arsenal’s best chance just five minutes after coming on. Still, his finish was straight at Kepa Arrizabalaga, wasting the opportunity.
Gabriel Jesus (Kiwior, 81″), N/R – Showed positive intent with the ball and attempted a solo run through the Bournemouth defense but was eventually dispossessed.
Ethan Nwaneri (Merino, 81″), N/R – Came on for Merino, but Arsenal couldn’t gain control to spark a late comeback.
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