Why Gavi wore 'wrong' shirt number for Barcelona in Europa League clash vs Man United

Barcelona ace Gavi caused confusion in the Europa League clash against Manchester United on Thursday night, with the youngster wearing a different shirt number to the one he usually wears in La Liga.

Erik ten Hag's side drew 2-2 with the Catalan giants at the Camp Nou, thanks to a Marcus Rashford strike and an own goal. The Reds were leading until the 76th minute, but former Leeds United man Raphinha levelled proceedings to ensure the tie was perfectly poised ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford next week.

During the pulsating clash, several viewers were confused about why Barcelona midfielder Gavi was wearing the No.30 shirt when he usually dons the No.6 jersey for the La Liga side. The 18-year-old was handed the new number - made iconic by his manager Xavi - at the end of last month, with the Spanish club revealing the news in an official announcement.

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Since then, Gavi has worn the number six for Barcelona in La Liga. However, UEFA rules do not allow players to change shirt numbers mid-season, meaning that the Spaniard is required to wear his old No.30 shirt in European competitions until the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

In contrast, La Liga rules state that a player is allowed to change their shirt number mid-season, but only if another player has not worn that specific jersey in the same term. Given that the number six has been vacant since Riqui Puig left the Camp Nou for LA Galaxy in August 2022 - having not made an appearance this season - Gavi was able to change to No.6.

Gavi will miss the second leg clash against Ten Hag's side after he received a booking for a foul on Fred on Thursday night. It was the 18-year-old's