From 1982 to 1992, FC Barcelona was a club of true glory. Many fans will remember the performances of a young Maradona, Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, and Pep Guardiola. We'd like to introduce MEYBA, the venerable Spanish sportswear brand that created the kits worn by Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team"!

While many teams are considered powerhouses, few have left such a lasting impression in memory and records as FC Barcelona from 1982 to 1992. The world's top players converged on Barcelona, representing not just their countries, but the world. This "El Dream Team" (a name inspired by the "Dream Team" that won gold with America's best lineup, including Michael Jordan) wore MEYBA, the brand we are introducing today. We'd like to delve into the story of MEYBA, a brand that can truly be called legendary.

MEYBA began in 1940, originally as a swimwear brand for men. The nicknames of its two Spanish founders were "Mey" and "Ba," which were combined to form the brand name MEYBA. Subsequently, the company focused on producing various sportswear, particularly football apparel for the Spanish market, supplying kits to many professional football teams at the time.

Its most famous association was with FC Barcelona from 1982 to 1992. This was also the era when a young Maradona and Pep Guardiola played for the club. FC Barcelona's last match in MEYBA kits was on May 20, 1992, a historic day when Johan Cruyff's Dream Team achieved their first European triumph, defeating Sampdoria 1-0 at Wembley Stadium in England.

However, starting with the 1992/93 season, the "European Cup" was rebranded as the "Champions League" (the current UEFA Champions League), incorporating a system that generated enormous broadcasting rights revenue. Around this time, major corporations began making substantial offers to famous clubs. This shift did not align with MEYBA's concept, which aimed to create historically significant jersey designs that cherished tradition and were loved by fans.

FC Barcelona, a symbol of the football world even today in 2022, supplied its kits from 1982 to 1992 by MEYBA, a legendary feat. Especially during the era of Johan Cruyff's "El Dream Team." FC Barcelona, with stars like Maradona, Laudrup, Stoichkov, Koeman, Pep Guardiola, and Lineker, achieved their first European title wearing the MEYBA "M" logo on their chests. That legacy continues to be filled with glory.

We spoke with Takashi Ogami, editor-in-chief of "SHUKYU," a football culture magazine based in Tokyo, and Keisuke Kosaka, founder of the label "FLiCK" and representative of the popular brand "BED j.w. FORD," who is creatively active with sports as a keyword, about the appeal of MEYBA, the historic sportswear brand from Spain that was a supplier to the legendary FC Barcelona.

"Before MEYBA signed with a Japanese distributor, I received an email from Neal, MEYBA's Creative and Design Chief, asking for cooperation in promoting the brand in Japan. I immediately looked at the designs and thought they were simply cool. I realized there was a brand like this. Following that, we sold MEYBA items at a pop-up event in Ginza in the spring of 2021. Learning that they had previously supplied kits for Barça (FC Barcelona's nickname) and Atlético Madrid, and that legendary players like Maradona had worn them, was incredibly exciting," said Ogami.

"I saw MEYBA for the first time at that Ginza pop-up. I thought, 'What a cool brand!' Even within football uniforms, where functionality often takes precedence over design, it was sophisticated. It had a design unlike typical sports brands, and despite its history, it felt contemporary. I learned that MEYBA had partnered with a company rebranding Japanese traditional sweets, aiming to promote it in Japan with its cultural elements and background, which further piqued my interest," said Kosaka.

"From around 1992, the football industry became a money game, but MEYBA remained untainted, pursuing its own unique style. Neal is also a collector of football kits, has published books, and even organized exhibitions of kits. I feel his background is reflected in the designs," said Ogami.

"When younger people look at 90s uniforms, they find them cool. It was the era of tight-fitting kits. Everyone wore them similarly, with individuality expressed only through sock height or how shoelaces were tied. I personally tried to imitate Maradona's unique way of tying his laces. It looked cool, but the laces were too long and it was dangerous... not very practical, haha," said Kosaka.

"90s uniforms were made of thicker material than today's, making them easier to wear as casual clothing. I think this is one of the reasons they are being worn as fashion items by young people recently," said Ogami.

"Also, the patterns were expressed through jacquard weaving, not printing," added Kosaka.

Thus, they shared their encounters with MEYBA and its appeal.

Neal Heard is the Creative and Design Chief responsible for the relaunch of MEYBA, the venerable Spanish sportswear brand. We first asked him whether he was in charge of designing football kits, fashion collections, or both.

"Actually, it's both. Jordi, Johan Cruyff's son, is involved with the company that revived the brand (*the brand rights were sold to Elite Group in the UK), and they were looking for creative direction that respected the brand's history while being relevant today. They wanted to revive the brand and also mentioned targeting football teams. It's not just a fashion label. With football and fashion merging more than ever, they feel this is the perfect timing. Even a famous skateboard brand like Palace made Juventus's third kit last season. That's a good example. So, I'm eager to supply kits to teams, but they want to create not just kits for players to wear during training or travel, but also cool, functional items they'd want to wear off the pitch, in their private lives, and then market them to the fashion industry," said Neal.

It feels as though tradition and evolution, through Neal's expertise, will pave the way for MEYBA's future. We asked him about his goals.

"The MEYBA team is functioning exceptionally well! Our goal is to communicate the crossover between football and fashion to the world!"

With plans for pop-up shops and brand collaborations on the horizon, MEYBA's future moves are certainly worth watching! They are also considering shop openings in Japan and entering the cultural scene.