Retro Granada Shirt – Andalusian Grit at the Foot of the Sierra Nevada

Granada CF's origins trace back to 1931, though the club as it exists today was formally re-established through a series of mergers and reincarnations over the following decades. For much of the 20th century, Granada were a fixture of the Segunda División and lower tiers of Spanish football, a club with passionate local support but limited resources to compete with the giants of Madrid, Barcelona, or even Seville.

Their first sustained spell in La Liga came during the 1970s, when they established themselves as a respectable top-flight side capable of grinding out results against the best in Spain. That era produced some memorable moments, and the shirts of that period – featuring bold red and white stripes and the simple charm of 1970s football design – are among the most sought-after for collectors today.

After years of financial difficulties and relegations, Granada's modern story began in earnest in 2009 when the club was purchased by Taiwanese businessman Jiang Lizhang. A rapid series of promotions followed, and by 2011 Granada were back in La Liga after a 35-year absence. Under manager Fabri and then Quique Sánchez Flores, they cemented themselves in the top flight and even qualified for European competition.

The 2020-21 season stands as the undisputed high point of the club's modern history. Under Diego Martínez, Granada not only survived in La Liga but reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League – an extraordinary achievement for a club of their size and budget. They beat Napoli over two legs, a result that sent shockwaves through European football and made the name of Granada known across the continent. Their home at Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes, situated beneath the mountains, became a fortress that European clubs genuinely feared.

The aftermath of that Europa League campaign, however, proved challenging. Key players departed, financial pressures mounted, and by 2022 Granada were relegated from La Liga. They bounced back through the promotion play-offs in 2023, only to suffer relegation again in 2024 – a cycle that perfectly encapsulates the club's eternal pattern of defiance and heartbreak. Their rivalry with Málaga and other Andalusian sides adds local pride to every season, and their matches against the Seville clubs carry the particular intensity of regional competition.

Granada's history is filled with players who gave everything for the red and white stripes, often moving on to bigger clubs – or arriving at Los Cármenes as a final chapter in storied careers.

In the modern era, no player better embodies the Granada spirit than Jorge Molina, a rugged and reliable centre-forward who scored crucial goals during their La Liga return and became a genuine fan favourite. Equally important was Rubén Vezo, a Portuguese defender who marshalled the backline with quiet authority during their top-flight years.

The Europa League campaign of 2020-21 introduced the world to players like Luis Suárez (not that one – the Colombian striker who was a revelation that season), Yangel Herrera, and Roberto Soldado, a veteran striker who brought experience and composure to crucial moments. Darwin Núñez, now of Liverpool, had a loan spell at Granada that showed flashes of the explosive talent that would later make him one of Europe's most expensive players.

In the dugout, Diego Martínez deserves immense credit for the Europa League miracle. He instilled a belief and tactical discipline in a squad of journeymen and loan players that belied the club's modest means. Before him, Paco Jémez and Tony Adams – yes, the former Arsenal and England captain – both managed the club, with Adams' brief and turbulent spell in 2017 becoming one of Spanish football's more bizarre episodes.

From earlier decades, striker Quini and several Spanish internationals passed through the club, contributing to the periods of genuine La Liga competitiveness that gave Granada their top-flight identity.

The Granada retro shirt is defined by one enduring constant: the bold red and white vertical stripes that the club has worn for the majority of their history, making them instantly recognisable in the landscape of Spanish football.

The 1970s kits are particularly cherished by collectors – classic, no-frills designs in heavy cotton fabric with simple V-neck collars and the striped template that has never really gone out of fashion. These shirts, worn during Granada's last sustained spell in La Liga before the long exile, carry the authentic feel of an era when football shirts were purely functional and utterly beautiful for it.

The early 2010s return to La Liga coincided with modern technical fabrics and shirt sponsorships, including partnerships with regional Andalusian businesses that gave the kits a distinctly local character. The Europa League season of 2020-21 produced some of the most collectible modern Granada shirts – worn during those dramatic nights against Napoli and Manchester United, the simple red and white stripes took on legendary status.

Granada have occasionally experimented with away kits in white, blue, or yellow – and some of these alternate designs from the late 2000s and early 2010s are particularly interesting collector's pieces, representing the club's rise through the divisions. The stadium crest, featuring the famous pomegranate fruit that gives both the city and club their name, is a distinctive design feature that makes every Granada shirt uniquely connected to place and history.