Guardian Sport NetworkSerie AThe Gentleman Ultra writers and readers pick their 15 favourite Serie A kits while (just about) managing to stay friends
Italy has always been a home to style and some of the world’s finest sportswear manufacturers, so picking the top 15 kits in Serie A in the last 50 years was quite a task. To ensure a broad selection, we asked more than 30 writers and then brought in our readers, who added another kit to the list and decided on the final order. So, all that’s left is for you to grab a cappuccino, sit back and enjoy the collection.
15. Cagliari home (1969-70)
When Cagliari won their first and, to date, only Scudetto in 1969-70, they had a strip worthy of the occasion. Inspired by the goals of the magisterial Gigi Riva, the Sardinians became the first team from the Mezzogiorno (southern Italy) to win Serie A. More commonly associated with their red and blue halved shirts, the club’s traditional colours featured in the distinctive V-neck, the trim of which reached halfway down this splendid white jersey. In these colours, Cagliari became champions of Italy.
14. Atalanta home (1990-91)
Although the black and blue stripe pairing is more widely associated with Inter, this early 1990s gem from Atalanta is more than worthy of its place in our top 15. Simple and classy, typical of Ennerre designs from this era, the Atalanta strip reminds Neil Morris of those halcyon days when foreign football offered something new and exotic. “I had a weird obsession with Glen Strömberg and Claudio Caniggia in the late 1980s and early 1990s (I think it was the hair), and both players wore this absolute beauty from Ennerre while playing in Bergamo. I would love to get my hands on one of these.”
13. Internazionale home (1988-90)
On the subject of black and blue stripes, Internazionale have the blend just right. It’s hard to imagine the Nerazzuri shirt having the same impact if the blue were any lighter or darker. The combination is just right. There could have been a number of Inter jerseys in the top 15, but the 1988 Ulhsport-designed edition came out as pick of the bunch.
12. Parma home (1995-97)
Parma captured the hearts of many viewers in the UK during the Gazzetta Football Italia era in the Ennio Tardini stadium, which always seemed to be bathed in autumnal sunshine. It wasn’t only their style on the park that caught the eye.
11. Palermo home (2007-08)
You don’t see too many pink shirts in football, but Palermo have worn the colour with pride, and considerable style, since 1907. Founded in 1900, the Sicilian club played in red and blue for the first seven years of their existence before switching to pink and black in 1907. A century on from the colour swap, Lotto produced a fine jersey for a side that included Andrea Barzagli, Edinson Cavani, Fabrizio Miccoli and Amauri. The traditional pink and black was complemented with a gold trim, which added a nice extra touch to an already sharp design.
10. Verona home (1984-85)
Osvaldo Bagnoli led Verona to the Serie A title against all odds in the 1984-85 season. The miracle was also achieved in style, in this beautiful blue and yellow jersey. Verona resident Richard Hough says the strip is still fondly remembered in the city: “It’s a simple design, authentic city colours – happy memories!” A true classic.
9. Torino third (2014-15)
Not too many people would have predicted a third-choice jersey would have made our list but Torino did something out of the ordinary in the in 2015-16 season. Luca Hodges-Ramon explains why this strip is so special: “Admire the elegance of the design, which comes as no surprise when talking about a Kappa kit. Appreciate the nod to modernity, with the #SempreForzaToro on the inside of the collar. Marvel at the subtlety of the navy base, complemented by the splash of granata on the collar and sleeves. And then there is the pièce de résistance: the large stylised print of the bull, adapted from the club’s emblem and nickname, Il Toro. Finally, in one of the most moving tributes I have seen on a football strip, the bull is shaped by the names of the most important players in Torino’s history, including the fallen heroes of the Grande Torino team who won five titles in a row before the Superga air disaster in 1949.”
8. Venezia home (1998-99)
Possibly the most love-it-or-hate-it strip on our list. There really isn’t any way black, orange and green should work on a shirt, but somehow Venezia made the colours sing in this strip from the late 1990s. With its paint-splash effect, the Venezia kit is one of the most iconic of the modern Italian football era. The Álvaro Recoba wore the shirt – while on loan from Inter – adds to its allure.
7. Roma home (1987-88)
With their deep red and yellow club colours, Roma have had some outstanding jerseys over the years. The colour combination seems to lend itself to classy kits, and the 1987-88 jersey is a standout. Everything about this strip oozes Italian design at its finest, from the collar, badge and Barilla sponsor to the Ennerre logo.
6. Vicenza home (1977-78)
The second oldest strip on our list dates back to the 1977-78 season, when Paolo Rossi inspired Vicenza to second in Serie A, the club’s highest finish in the top flight. The players looked resplendent in their red and white stripes. The plain design with V-neck appeals to the purists out there. At a time when jersey sponsorship was banned, Vicenza had the logo of their wool company owners embroidered on the shirt. This was one of the first examples of shirt advertising, albeit by stealth.
5. Napoli home (1987-88)
The simple sky-blue Napoli jersey is one of the most famous in football. The strip was brought to worldwide prominence when, somewhat incredibly, the club signed Diego Maradona in 1984. What makes the 1987 edition of the strip so special is that the club were sporting the Scudetto shield – in addition to the Coppa Italia badge – on their jersey for the first time, having won their first Serie A championship the previous season. Personally, this is an extra special strip for me as it was the first-ever full football kit I owned. Even more special was the fact that my two brothers and I were given the strips by our Aunt Rose Reilly, who was playing professionally in Italy at the time.
4. Juventus away (1995-96)
The only away strip to make our list is one close to the hearts of Juventus supporters. Ricci Potts, one such fan, explains: “I love the boldness of it: the clash of the blue and yellow but particularly the vastness of the two stars on the shoulders. I thought this was a cool touch at the time, each star represents 10 Scudetti won and Juve are the only club with more than one so why not make them as huge as possible?” The strip’s most famous outing came in the 1996 Champions League final, when the Old Lady beat holders Ajax following a penalty shootout at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
3. Sampdoria home (1990-91)
This list could have been filled with Sampdoria kits alone. The blue jersey with white, red and black horizontal stripes across the chest is instantly recognised the world over. This Asics strip was worn by an outstanding group of players including Pietro Vierchowod, Atillio Lombardo, Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli, who led the Genovese side to their first and only Scudetto in 1990-91. It is also worth mentioning the club’s ever-cool badge, featuring the local sailor Baciccia smoking a pipe, which sits on the shirt’s left sleeve. An all-round work of art and more than worthy third-place in our top three.
2. Fiorentina home (1998-99)
Fila, Nintendo and Gabriel Batistuta in Fiorentina viola – it’s quite a combination. Though perhaps not one for the jersey purists, this strip is one of the most iconic of the modern Italian football era and is also loved by Goldeneye and Mario Kart enthusiasts. This was certainly the case for Franco Ficetola: “The image of this shirt on the Panini cards album must be one of those things that made me fall in love with football. It was there, purple and white, with the Nintendo sponsor, that was the only console I had back then. I used to play Super Mario Kart every day, so the fact that I was fond of Fiorentina that season came as no surprise.” Some strips become special due to their association with a particular player – and it’s difficult not to think of the great Batigol unleashing a thunderous shot when you see this Fiorentina classic.
1. Milan home (1988-90)
There will be Serie A defenders from the late 1980s who still wake up in a cold sweat at the very thought of this jersey. Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten have ensured this strip – with its thinner stripes than most recent Milan offerings – has legendary status. Richard Hall recalls his father bringing him the jersey back from a trip to Italy, even though he had requested an Inter top: “I fell in love with Inter in this era but Milan also captured the imagination and were the first team I thought were unbeatable.” Ju Ralph also remembers being captivated by Sacchi’s side as they conquered all before them. “I was drawn into Italian football by that Milan team and Van Basten as they dominated the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was a perfect starter before the explosion of Italia 90 and everything that came from that. As a 10-year-old, the sight of Van Basten playing and scoring goals in a defensively tight league was something I hoped I could replicate – sadly it was only on the training pitch or in my garden.” A unanimous choice among Gentleman Ultra readers as the best Serie A jersey from the past 50 years.
Readers’ pick: Lazio (1986-87)
Mindful that we could never please everybody, we decided to include a readers’ pick on our final list. The most popular suggestion on Twitter proved to be Lazio’s famous eagle-designed strip from 1986-87, which the Biancocelesti recreated for the 2015-16 season. Honourable mentions also go to Bari’s 1991-92 kit and Cremonese’s 1992-93 red and grey strip, which the club wore when they lifted the Anglo-Italian Cup at Wembley in 1993.
This article first appeared on The Gentleman Ultra
Follow Martin Dunlop and The Gentleman Ultra on Twitter
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaJ6fpMGjrculZq2glWK0prrTpZymmZ5iwq3A0Zpma2hhbXyurdFoaGlno5q%2FqrGMmmSbnaOpeqy106xkbmhdrrKivtI%3D