Barcelona are about to break a pretty long streak in the Catalan derby. For the first time in a decade, they’ll wear their classic blue and garnet kit at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium.

Sergi Sole from Mundo Deportivo says La Liga finally gave Barcelona the okay to play in their traditional Blaugrana stripes at Cornella-El Prat. It’s been a while—since January 13, 2016, to be exact—since anyone saw those famous colors at Espanyol’s ground.

Back then, Barcelona wore the blue and garnet stripes with red shorts in a Copa del Rey match. They won it 2–0. Just eleven days before that, they showed up in the same kit for a league game at the same stadium. That one ended 0-0.

Ever since, every trip to RCDE Stadium meant Barcelona had to leave their main kit at home. Instead, they showed up in all sorts of alternate colors.

Here’s the odd part. Out of 16 visits to Espanyol’s new stadium, Barcelona only managed to wear their first-choice kit four times. The first two happened right after the stadium opened—a scoreless draw in 2009/10 and then a 5-1 win in the 2010/11 season. Now, this upcoming derby will mark just the fifth time they walk out onto that pitch dressed like Barcelona.

But don’t expect to see a sea of blue and garnet in the stands. Espanyol’s rules still ban fans from wearing Barcelona shirts or colors inside the RCDE Stadium. Players get the tradition, but supporters have to blend in.

Over the years, Barcelona’s kits at Cornella-El Prat have been all over the place. The yellow ‘senyera’ and straight yellow have popped up the most—four times. They’ve also gone out in black, orange, maroon, and, yes, even mango.

Last season, Barcelona clinched the league title there in their black kit, winning 2–0. Two seasons before that, they locked up the championship in the yellow senyera. But this time, it’s back to basics—classic Blaugrana under the derby lights.

As 2026 kicks off, Barcelona fans are feeling good about their team's resurgence. But the future is hazy for two players: Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen.

SPORT says that these players can now talk to other teams since their contracts end this summer.

FIFA rules let them chat with other clubs without Barcelona's permission, but staying with the team isn't out of the question.

Lewandowski's situation is interesting. At 37, he's getting older, but he's still playing well.

Even with some muscle problems, he's Barcelona's second-best scorer with eight goals in 18 games in LaLiga and the Champions League. Only Ferran Torres has scored more, with 13 goals, and he's been starting more often.

Lewandowski has said he'll stay if Barcelona sees him as important next season.

Other teams have noticed this, and MLS and Saudi Arabian clubs might be interested if Barcelona isn't sure about keeping him.

Christensen's situation is different. He might have left soon because he wasn't playing much, and the coach was using other players in his position.

But he got a bad knee injury before the Villarreal game, which changes things. He might be out for most of the season, which limits his options.

Now he has to recover from a big injury without a contract, which has made the club think.

The president, Laporta, might offer him a smaller contract to help him recover, not just for sports reasons. Christensen makes about €6 million a year, which Barcelona doesn't want to keep paying, even if they offer him a new deal.

Barcelona isn't rushing into anything, and an extension is just an idea for now. It depends on how Christensen recovers and what he wants, especially with the 2026 World Cup coming up.

If he rushes back to play for Denmark, it could change the club's and his decision, and he might look at other teams again.

In the next few months, Lewandowski and Christensen's futures will become clearer. Right now, they represent Barcelona's mix of wanting to win and facing tough choices.