Top 100 Football Shirts of 2020/21 - (Part Five: 60-51)
This is Part 5 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
60. Napoli - Home
It finally happened.
The last time Napoli didn’t have a big red box of a sponsor, Zidane’s head had never met the chest of an Italian (as far as I’m aware). After so many seasons I’d grown quite fond of the jarring look, but I can’t deny that the ‘release’ of the ‘Lete’ wordmark is good to see.
Thing is, this shirt is actually really strong outside of anything to do with the sponsor. This is quietly Kappa at their best, with a tasty amount of the Omini logo and more than a little bit of a Kappa Kombat 2000 vibe.
- Phil Delves.
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59. AS Monaco - Home
I’ve always been a fan of Monaco’s home kit design, it never drastically changes and there’s a reason for that: it looks amazing. The diagonal halves are rarely used by other clubs and in red and white, it is as aesthetically pleasing as they come. A Kappa silhouette will always add a dash of Italian pizzazz too.
Long-running sponsor Fedcom have become synonymous with Les Monégasques, never trying to overpower the shirt. It’s going to look sensational under the nine arches of the Stade Louis II this season that’s for sure.
- Kevan Thorpe, FOOTY.COM.
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58. Boca Juniors - Away
In an era when almost every kit has to have an ancestor in the team’s kit history, this is a good example of how to nod to the past while at the same time moving forward. The West Germany 1988-92 style is a classic but was little-used elsewhere, with Cork City and Boca’s away the most notable examples. One problem the German shirt didn’t have was how to house a sponsor, and this refreshed style deals with that by widening the central section to good effect.
57. AC Milan - Home
This is not far off being a classic AC Milan shirt, though a pity they felt unable to wear it when playing against green/white Shamrock Rovers earlier this season. Milan wore teal instead. Okay.
This shirt features a subtle pattern, which, according to the spin released by Puma, “is inspired by the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy's oldest shopping mall”. Good to know.
- Kit Crimes.
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56. SC Braga - Away
Last year, Braga hit the headlines for their rather ‘interesting’ armour third kit. I think it’s fair to say that it wasn’t to everyone’s taste. This year, however, Braga have released a shirt which deserves to be praised, as their new away shirt is simply gorgeous.
This year is Braga’s centenary year and this shirt (as well as the home) celebrates this with a ‘centenario’ lettering subtly running across the front of the shirt. But what really stands out for me is how the colours work together. The dark teal really compliments the gold found on the collar, cuffs, hummel chevrons and sponsor.
55. Inter Miami - Away
We’ve all dreamt about it, Becks is actually doing it: building a football club from scratch. The best thing about that is, he gets to choose everything. Design expectations are high when the owner is one of the most stylish men on the planet, and it turns out that the new club’s branding delivers by the boatload. Miami Art Deco pink on black is the contrasting palette of choice.
The finer detail within the body comes directly from The Herons’ branding once more, with two of the native birds interlocking their legs to form the letter ‘M’. Lovely touch.
- Kevan Thorpe, FOOTY.COM.
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54. Luton Town - Away
Remember in the early 1990’s when football kit design changed, from the classic-looking kits of the 80s to kits with crazy colours and designs… well those days are back with this Luton Town away shirt.
Umbro returning to become the clubs kit supplier, this bespoke design is a modern interpretation of the Umbro kit the team wore (then home kit) in 1991/92 - their last in the English top-flight! A predominately white shirt with blue and orange flashes, triangles and shapes, in theory this shouldn't work but with the shirt having such a clean look, the splash of colour focused on the side panels works for me. The sponsor also uses the orange and blue in their logo which blends into the overall aesthetic of shirt.
- Gavin Hope, Football Kit Geek.
53. Malvern Town - Home
Malvern Town boast one of my favourite collections of the season, so it’s no surprise to see them feature on this list. We actually named both their home and away shirts amongst the best non-league kits, but it’s their incredible claret and blue effort which steals the spotlight here. It really is magnificent.
The cuffs, collar and stripes look classy enough to wear to a wedding (maybe not a posh one), oozing more class and sophistication than a night out at the theatre. I feel like I could wear this while tasting wine and showing off my extensive cheese (Babybel) knowledge. Smart.
- Ben Hyde, FOOTY.COM.
52. Lille - Away
This is nice, but there isn’t really anything about it which really excites me. The dark colourway is brought to life by a smart, Matrix-esque pattern, basically giving us a glimpse of what a night out with New Balance might look like. Even so, this gets a bit of a “meh” from me, especially since the pattern doesn’t continue onto the sleeves or back.
Of course, the pattern itself is deceptively smart, featuring teeny-tiny pentagons which match the shape of the club badge - which, incidentally, sits in monochrome to let these small pops of colour breathe a bit. This is inspired by the night sky, but it needs a few more stars to become really special in my book.
- Ben Hyde, FOOTY.COM.
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51. Austria - Away
The art world and the football world, they’re closer than you think. Inspired by Austrian Art Nouveau creations of the 19th and 20th centuries, this Puma shirt is certainly more subtle than a Schwarzenegger blockbuster. The drooping teal pattern running beautifully throughout.
One of my favourite international crests adds a simple contrast, alongside the teal trim on the sleeves. I’m not entirely sure why the Puma logos aren’t white though? Forget about my OCD, it’s still a cracker.
- Kevan Thorpe, FOOTY.COM.
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NEXT >
This is Part 5 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
