Top 100 Football Shirts of 2020/21 - (Part Seven: 40-31)
This is Part 7 of 10. Explore the rest of the countdown:
100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
40. FSV Mainz 05 - Home
Reminiscent of Croatia kits that are universally enjoyed by all, the new Die Nullfünfer home strip tackles red and white geometric patterning incredibly well. Chevron detailing adds depth to the main body, with each logo playing its minor part. Again, a Kappa shaping gives the whole look a touch of panache.
Mainz 05 will face up against some Bundesliga giants at the Opel Arena, yet it seems they’ve already found a way to get one up before kicking a ball.
- Kevan Thorpe, FOOTY.COM.
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39. Southend United - Home
Southend United were my local team growing up, and as such I always look out for their new kits every season.
Whilst their long tenure with Nike yielded precious few gems in the shirt department, new partner hummel have already surpassed their American predecessors with their very first attempt.
The new, quite literally wavy, home kit is the perfect example of a home kit that showcases creativity in a tasteful way. hummel are often pegged as retro specialists, but they've shown here that they have more in their locker.
- Phil Delves.
I absolutely love this from Southend. I’ve never been cool enough to get away with calling something “wavy”, but that description quite literally sums this up. A seaside-themed shirt always risks looking a little tacky, but hummel have sensationally beaten the odds and come up with something really classy instead. There’s not a bucket and spade in sight.
- Ben Hyde, FOOTY.COM.
38. Sampdoria - Home
Having given Motherwell such a good Sampdoria shirt, the pressure was on Macron to make sure their first one for Samp was up to snuff and they managed that. At the time of writing, Samp are still without a sponsor, ensuring a clean overall look and Macron have done a good job in not trying to over-design this.
With an established pillar on a shirt like this, there can be a temptation to add other flourishes which end up detracting from the overall look, but the blucerchiati trim on the neck and the white underarm panels are enough.
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37. South Korea - Home
Nike x South Korea made serious waves at the start of the year, thanks largely to this absolutely outstanding home shirt. The gradient blush pink is broken up beautifully by the outlined ‘trigram’ patterning throughout (a feature of the South Korean national flag). Solid black trims on the sleeves, sides and neck frame the bold look perfectly, whilst the tiger crest is the classiest of details.
The tiger-print away shirt is a truly eye-catching cracker, but I believe this home strip is every bit as good. Iconic.
- Kevan Thorpe, FOOTY.COM
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36. Paris Saint-Germain - Away
As with the new Boro away kit, in an era where pinning the tail on the Illustrator swatch palette donkey is causing clubs around the world to sport change outfits in all manner of obscure colours, it's refreshing to see another more traditional angle on an away kit as shown here by Nike's new Paris Saint Germain change strip.
The Vaporknit fabric design reflects the timeless Hechter PSG design of a central vertical panel, bordered on each side by thinner bands (a motif neatly also referenced on the socks). The white jersey reflects the look of the home shirt with royal blue replacing the navy of the first choice jersey. Of course, consideration has to be given to the team sponsor – therefore the central bands are broken by a white panel but even that minor irritation fails to spoil this splendid shirt.
A collar is featured instead of Nike's more recent minimalist neck designs, along with a two-button placket. Nike are the masters of adding subtle, discrete touches on so many of their kits; this outfit features a small France tricolour flag in the bottom left-hand corner and tonal typography running down the side seams that proudly proclaims, 'PARIS SAINT GERMAIN 50 ANS', marking the club's 1970 birth. Magnifique!
- John Devlin, True Colours Kits.
35. Valencia - Third
There’s been a definite shift towards “painted” shirts this year. Some of these brushstroke patterns are masterful works of art, while others kindly demonstrate just how easily things can go wrong. Valencia's third kit fortunately sits much closer to the former - though clashes with the white home shirt may prove to be an issue down the road.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a great shirt, even if it doesn’t quite grab the attention like so many other brushstroke designs we’ve seen this year. To be fair, maybe that’s exactly what makes it a little different.
Although there’s perhaps a slight “washing machine accident” vibe here, it’s this strange colour palette which really makes the shirt stand out. The different shades swirl together like an abstract clouded sky, conjuring up a unique blue colour inspired by the works of painter Joaquín Sorolla. Beautiful, without being too loud about it.
- Ben Hyde, FOOTY.COM.
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34. Slovenia - Home
Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia, once again dominates the iconic Slovenia home shirt. However, unlike previous Slovenia shirts, which were perhaps too busy or tried too hard to highlight the Triglav mountain, this new home shirt relies on colours, simplicity and being bold to make a truly stunning shirt.
The shirt is simple in that there are really only three elements to it; the blue chest, the darker blue mountain, and the white lower part of the shirt. Yet each part stands out and combines to make a great-looking kit. The white and blue are fresh and uncluttered and the mountain is big and bold.
A clean yet strong design.
The mountains of Slovenia stand tall once more with this ice-cold look. A clean-cut, jagged combo of whites and blues link together beautifully to create a real treat. Jan Oblak may pick a fair few balls out of his net, but at least he’s got something pleasing to look at. Ljubljy jubbly.
- Kevan Thorpe, FOOTY.COM.
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33. Southampton - Home
Southampton in their 135th year, celebrate that with a return to one of their classic looks, the sash!! For the first time in the club’s history, they are using a red shirt with a white sash,; the club have previously used a white shirt with a red sash for their home colours – this is being used as their third kit in 2020/21.
Under Armour have certainly been hit or miss with their efforts for The Saints, however this for me is a hit, although a departure from their classic look, this maintains a Southampton feel to it. Cuffs seem to have had a particular focus in 20/21 and this shirt is right up there for that, with a large black cuff trimmed with white helping the overall balance of the shirt.
My final thought… as football kit lovers, we all love a sash and for that alone it should be in this list!
- Gavin Hope, Football Kit Geek.
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32. Palmeiras - Home
Puma have had an up and down year in my opinion, but this is certainly one of their ups. An exclusive design for another of the São Paulo giants, it celebrates 106 years of history. The embedded design you see throughout was plastered across handbooks given to Italian immigrants on their arrival in the city more than a century ago. It even features the Italian flag and the word ‘avanti’ (forward) on the neck.
For me, the deep green is a beautiful shade and the simplicity of the template in addition to Verdão's legendary motif has created an instant classic.
- Kevan Thorpe, FOOTY.COM.
I just wanted to pop in here and point out how awesome South American crests are. The pattern and colours are obviously gorgeous, but absolutely nothing is tearing my eyes away from that fantastic Palmeiras badge. Man, it really pops.
- Ben Hyde, FOOTY.COM.
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31. Barcelona - Home
That ten years is now regarded long enough ago to use as inspiration for a kit says something about Nike's well of inspiration running dry.
They have based their new Barcelona home kit on the one worn by Pep Guardiola’s team in 2010-11, but in fairness it was a sensational team: they won the Champions League, La Liga and it was the year they walloped Real Madrid 5-0 in one of the most startling club performances in living memory.
As a consequence of the team’s success, the kit with its yellow round collar and broad stripes is associated with greatness, and at least Barca aren’t messing about with hoops or checks this year.
- Kit Crimes.
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This is Part 7 of 10. Explore the rest of the countdown:
100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
