As we await the next round of the UEFA Champions League, let’s take a look back at some of the best special edition kits to ever grace the competition.
The first installment of the new-look Champions League is now in the knockout stages, and whether you’re a fan of the new structure or not, you can’t deny that this tournament is still the pinnacle of club football. So, in celebration of the tournament reaching the latter stages, we’re diving into another “Best Of” list, this time looking at the finest shirts that were only worn in the Champions League. Strap yourselves in…
Lazio 1999-00
Lazio went into this season on the back of a UEFA Cup win and finished in second place, and they celebrated in style by turning up to the Champions League with a special kit. They used blue and white stripes for the first time on a home kit, which was a smart move. Combine that with the bright Del Monte sponsor and players like Juan Sebastian Veron and Alessandro Nesta and you get a wonderful kit.
Borussia Dortmund 1996-97
Borussia Dortmund kits of the ’90s are a football hipster’s dream, and this special edition version is no exception. They wore this kit throughout the tournament, except for the final, in which they beat Juventus 3-1. I have no idea why they decided not to wear this kit in the biggest game of their season, especially as it is such a good shirt. I guess it proved commercially beneficial to wear next season’s kit in a game where they won the trophy…
AS Roma 2000-01
This design has become one of the most beloved Roma kits in history. It features a half-red and half-orange design and was worn by the Giallorossi during the tournament’s group stage and second group stage where they won two games, one coming against Barcelona. Francesco Totti scored the first goal ever in this shirt, so make of that what you may.
Buy an argumentative essay online.
Marseille 1992-93
A shirt that comes with a lot of baggage, that’s for sure. First, it wasn’t a special edition kit so it probably doesn’t belong in this list. However, as it omitted the sponsor logo per UEFA rules, this particular version of the shirt was unique to the Champions League, which grants it entry on a technicality.
Second, Marseille were eventual winners of the league and the European Cup, only to be stripped of their league title and relegated to the second division for match fixing. Remarkably, they kept their European title and remain the only French team to win the tournament.
PSG 2018-19
PSG and Jordan was a partnership that broke the football internet. It was the crossover of basketball and football in one of the world’s fashion capitals, and the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe were representing. The centerpieces of the collaboration were a pair of Champions League edition kits that forever changed the football fashion world.
PSG became one of the hottest tickets in the game, and everyone from Kendall Jenner to Gigi Hadid headed to the Parc de Princes as football smashed into the fashion world and the synergy of the two subcultures exploded.
