The mystery behind Ferran Torres and his defective Barcelona shirt has now been solved.
Fans were left confused on Thursday night when Torres played in a shirt that did not have the Barcelona club crest or the Nike logo for the second half of their Europa League match against Napoli.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed the missing details after Torres had equalised from the penalty spot in the round of 32 clash at the Nou Camp, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
To make matters more confusing, Torres had played the first half of the match in a completely normal shirt.
Fans were left to speculate over the reason behind Torres’ unusual kit but a fairly mundane explanation has now emerged.
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According to Spanish publication AS, the unusual shirt was merely the result of a printing error, rather than some sort of protest against the club and its kit manufacturer.
The error went unnoticed by Barcelona’s backroom staff and the player himself, who changed into the defective shirt during the half-time break.
Torres equalised with a penalty on the hour mark after Piotr Zielinski had put Napoli ahead in the first half.
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However, the former Manchester City player would miss a number chances to give Barcelona the lead in the tie, with the match ending in a draw ahead of the second leg in Naples on February 24.
Torres was visibly upset at full-time and had to be consoled by a team-mates after the final whistle.
Barcelona head coach Xavi also gave the 21-year-old his full support after the match.
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"The Barca shirt weighs a few kilos more," Xavi said.
"But I am delighted to have him in the team and he will give me a lot of joy.
"If he is in the penalty area it is because he will score. He has scored goals all his life and he will have them.
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"In training he is one of those who scores the most. He has our absolute trust. The coaching staff and I will take care of this.
"He is very strong, self-demanding."
Topics: Barcelona, Football, Ferran Torres, Europa League, La Liga
Rory O'Callaghan