Meyba

Meyba is a Spanish sportswear brand founded in the 1940s by Josep Mestre and Joaquim Ballbé in Terrassa, Catalonia. The name is derived from the initial syllables of the founders’ names. The company initially built its business around practical clothing for leisure and sport, producing shorts, shirts, and footwear associated with the beaches of Barceloneta and the wider Barcelona area. Its early identity was therefore rooted in Catalan coastal culture, recreational apparel, and accessible sports clothing rather than in a single professional sport. The brand’s most important turning point came in 1981, when Meyba entered an agreement with FC Barcelona to supply sports and leisurewear. The relationship lasted for approximately a decade and transformed Meyba from a regional Spanish manufacturer into a brand with substantial international visibility. FC Barcelona’s success during this period gave the supplier unusually strong exposure, particularly as the club assembled the celebrated team commonly referred to as the first Dream Team. Players associated with that era included Michael Laudrup, Ronald Koeman, José Mari Bakero, and Pep Guardiola. Meyba’s association with the club became one of the defining elements of its historical brand equity. Meyba’s product scope has centered on sportswear and swimwear, including athletic shirts, shorts, team apparel, leisurewear, and related footwear. The available reference material does not establish a detailed current product catalog, manufacturing footprint, revenue profile, or a verified corporate headquarters beyond the brand’s Catalan and Barcelona-area origins. It also does not identify a publicly listed parent company or a current executive team. The company experienced severe financial difficulties in the 1990s. It entered receivership in 1994 and closed in 1997. The brand was subsequently acquired by Pulligan Group, which was owned by Joan Canals. In 2013, the rights to Meyba were acquired by the Dutch brand Premium. Premium also manages rights connected with the Johann Cruyff brand, placing Meyba within a broader portfolio of sports and lifestyle marks. The available sources do not provide enough information to describe the precise legal structure, operating scale, or current distribution model after that transaction. Meyba’s historical positioning is consequently based on three linked attributes: Catalan and Spanish sporting heritage, practical sports and swim apparel, and credibility derived from its former FC Barcelona supplier relationship. Its most recognizable legacy is not a particular technical innovation but the visibility achieved through football sponsorship and the cultural memory of the Barcelona team that wore its apparel during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Meyba was established in the 1940s in Terrassa, Catalonia, by Josep Mestre and Joaquim Ballbé. Its name was formed from elements of the founders’ names. The company developed as a sports and leisurewear manufacturer, initially making garments such as shorts and shirts and also producing footwear. Its early commercial identity was closely connected with the Barcelona area, including the popular beaches of Barceloneta, where practical clothing for recreation and sport found a natural market. For much of its early history, Meyba appears to have operated primarily as a Spanish sportswear manufacturer rather than as a globally recognized lifestyle label. That changed in 1981, when the company reached an agreement with FC Barcelona to supply the club’s sports and leisurewear. The partnership continued for about ten years and provided the brand with a prominent international platform. FC Barcelona achieved considerable success while wearing Meyba apparel, and the relationship is especially associated with the club’s first Dream Team era. Players linked with that period included Michael Laudrup, Ronald Koeman, José Mari Bakero, and Pep Guardiola. The sponsorship made Meyba part of the visual history of one of European football’s best-known teams and remains central to the brand’s historical reputation. The company later entered a period of financial decline. Meyba went into receivership in 1994 and closed in 1997. After the closure, the brand was acquired by Pulligan Group, whose owner was Joan Canals. This transaction separated the continuing value of the Meyba name from the earlier operating company and allowed the trademark to remain commercially usable despite the collapse of the original business. In 2013, Dutch brand Premium acquired the rights to Meyba. Premium also manages the rights of Johann Cruyff, another sports-related brand with strong football associations. The available reference material does not document the full details of Premium’s commercial strategy for Meyba, its manufacturing arrangements, or the extent of its current retail and licensing activity. Accordingly, Meyba is best understood as a sportswear brand with a substantial historical legacy and a later rights-management phase, rather than as a fully documented vertically integrated apparel company. Across its history, Meyba’s principal categories have been sportswear, swimwear, leisurewear, and related footwear. Its strongest differentiator has been brand heritage: the combination of Catalan origins, early beachwear and recreational products, and the decade-long FC Barcelona supply agreement. The company’s financial collapse interrupted its original operating history, but subsequent ownership of the brand rights preserved the name and its association with Spanish sport.

1. 2013Premium acquires the brand rights

   Dutch brand Premium acquires Meyba’s rights and manages the mark within a sports and lifestyle brand portfolio.

   Source
2. 1997Original company closes

   The company closes following its financial difficulties. The brand is subsequently acquired by Pulligan Group.

   Source
3. 1994Receivership

   Meyba enters receivership amid financial difficulties.

   Source
4. 1991FC Barcelona partnership ends after approximately a decade

   The reported ten-year relationship between Meyba and FC Barcelona comes to an end after a period associated with major sporting success for the club.

   Source
5. 1981FC Barcelona supply agreement begins

   Meyba begins supplying sports and leisurewear to FC Barcelona, giving the Spanish brand significant international exposure.

   Source
6. 1940Meyba is established in Catalonia

   Josep Mestre and Joaquim Ballbé establish the sportswear business in Terrassa. The brand name is derived from the founders’ names.

   Source

A Spanish sportswear and swimwear brand with Catalan roots, positioned around recreational apparel, teamwear heritage, and association with FC Barcelona’s highly successful late-1980s and early-1990s period.

• SportswearAthletic apparel

  Meyba’s core historical category includes sports shirts, shorts, and other garments designed for athletic activity and recreational use. The brand became particularly visible through team and leisurewear supplied to FC Barcelona during the 1980s and early 1990s.

• SwimwearSwim apparel

  Swimwear formed part of Meyba’s sports and beach-oriented identity. Its association with Barceloneta and other recreational settings reflects the brand’s origins in practical clothing for coastal leisure and sport.

• FC Barcelona teamwearFootball apparel1981

  Meyba supplied FC Barcelona sports and leisurewear from 1981 for approximately ten years. This line is the brand’s most prominent historical offering and is strongly associated with the club’s first Dream Team era and players including Michael Laudrup, Ronald Koeman, José Mari Bakero, and Pep Guardiola.

• Sports footwearAthletic footwear

  Footwear was among the product categories associated with Meyba’s early sports and leisurewear business. The available sources do not provide enough detail to identify specific models, technologies, or the present availability of this category.

• 1981FC Barcelona sportswear partnership

  Spain · International football audience

  Meyba supplied FC Barcelona’s sports and leisurewear for approximately a decade. The arrangement functioned as a high-profile sports sponsorship and connected the brand with the club’s successful first Dream Team period.

  Outcome. The partnership substantially increased Meyba’s international recognition and became the central episode in its brand history.

  Source

• 2013Transfer brand rights to PremiumM&A

  Following the closure of the original company and the later ownership of the mark by Pulligan Group, Meyba continued as a brand-rights asset.

  What changed. Dutch brand Premium acquired the rights to Meyba.

  Aftermath. Premium manages Meyba alongside rights associated with Johann Cruyff, preserving the brand’s sports heritage under a later rights-management structure.

  Source
• 1994Enter receivershipOther

  The company faced financial difficulties after the period in which its FC Barcelona partnership had made the brand internationally visible.

  What changed. Meyba entered receivership.

  Aftermath. The original company closed in 1997, after which the brand was acquired by Pulligan Group.

  Source
• 1981Pursue an FC Barcelona supply partnershipStrategy

  Meyba had developed from a regional Catalan sports and leisurewear manufacturer and sought greater visibility beyond its established local market.

  What changed. The brand entered an agreement to provide FC Barcelona with sports and leisurewear.

  Aftermath. The relationship lasted approximately ten years and gave Meyba international recognition through FC Barcelona’s sporting success.

  Source

• 2013Premium acquires Meyba brand rights

  Dutch brand Premium acquired the rights to Meyba and subsequently managed the brand alongside rights associated with Johann Cruyff.

  M&A
  Source
• 1997Meyba closes after financial difficulties

  The company ceased operations after its 1994 receivership. The brand was later acquired by Pulligan Group.

  Bankruptcy
  Source
• 1994Meyba enters receivership

  Meyba encountered serious financial distress and entered receivership, preceding the company’s closure later in the decade.

  Bankruptcy
  Source

1. Meyba