New kit for the Spanish national team in the 2018 World Cup sparks controversy

The new kit that the Spanish national team will wear in the 2018 World Cup in Russia has created controversy due to an optical effect caused by the combination of red and blue, resulting in a purple trim that some say resembles the flag of the Second Spanish Republic.

The Spanish World Cup jersey is based on the one worn by La Roja in the 1994 World Cup in the United States, although its design is slightly different.

The shirt is red with three yellow stripes, the Adidas logo on the shoulders, but its main feature is the diamond-shaped red, yellow, and blue trim on the right side, which "represents the speed, energy, and style of football associated with the Spanish national team."

However, the overlapping of the blue diamonds on the red shirt gives the impression from a distance and in the media of a purple color, making it appear as if the trim is red, yellow, and purple, which coincides with the colors of the flag of the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1936).

"The new Spanish national team shirt has its charm. It incorporates an almost purple blue and reminds one of the republican attempt to expand the colors of the Crown of Aragon (which are the basis of the Catalan flag and also of the red and yellow) to include the purple of Castile," wrote the leader of the green-communist coalition United Left, Alberto Garzón, on Instagram.

"These are the ironies of history, and the tricolor flag represents the richness of Spain much better than the red and yellow flag," added the leader of a openly republican party.

The leader of the radical left party Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, also took to social media to say: "It has been a while since the Spanish national team wore such a beautiful jersey. Let's all support La Roja," accompanied by a smiling emoticon.

On the other hand, other internet users have posted messages calling for the withdrawal of the new Spanish jersey.