It’s no secret that Italians know a thing or two about fashion – be it the Milan fashion shows or the endless array of iconic football shirts that they have produced. Looking around sports news at the moment, this is the time of year that next season’s shirts are being leaked – but let’s wind the clock back and reflect on some of the best Italian football jerseys of the past – we will let you pick your own 10th spot.
AC Milan (Home) 1988-90
Perhaps the most classic football jersey of all time, the 1988-90 Home kit of AC Miland, painted a clean black and red, was worn by the likes of Maldini, Baresi, Rijkaard, Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit. This era of Milan was as iconic as the football shirt it had produced, making it the Milan staple and many people’s favourite of all time.
Italy (Home) 1990
Many of the jerseys on this list are of a similar time period – the early 90s and late 80s. This was not just a time for peak jerseys in Italy, but legendary players such as Roberto Baggio and Toto Schillaci.
The 1990 Italy home shirt encompasses this generation. This jersey was worn in the 86 World Cup, 88 Euros, and the 1990 World Cup in which Italy come third – with Schillaci winning best player and coming top scorer of the competition.
Sampdoria (Home) 1990-91
The Sampdoria home shirt is a retro classic. The old school horizontal white, red, and black stripes with the oversized “ERG” sponsorship. Sampdoria has made many classic kits over the years, but this one was the first year Sampdoria won the Serie A title, 5 points clear of Milan. Roberto Mancini and Pietro Vierchowod, among others, sported this shirt during that season.
Napoli (Home) 1987
If you was to name the top 10 home kits of all time – most of them would be Italian shirts, and Napoli’s 1987 shows why. Simplicity in its purest form, the sky-blue collared shirt with the Buitoni sponsor makes for an iconic emblem of Italian footballing history. It does help that it was worn by none other than Diego Maradona, of course. This was the first time the Partenopei had the Scudetto shield on the jersey, and along with the iconic Ennere logo, it made for an iconic kit.
Fiorentina (Home) 1998-99
Again, another team that managed to create many classic jerseys, the 1998-99 home kit of Fiorentina was a purple-laden gem. FILA, tick. Nintendo, tick. Batistuta, tick – this year had it all.
Even today, this shirt remains to be one of the most beloved. The striking purple colours of Fiorentina along with the classic sponsorship and branding made it the ideal backdrop for their many legendary players to sport.
Juventus (Away) 1995/96
Home shirts always get all of the love, so in the spirit of inclusivity, Juventus wins the award for Italian away shirts. The 1995 edition with the vast “SONY” sponsor was a vintage-looking kit, with the iconic Turin city colours of blue and yellow. The yellow stars on the shoulders made for a bold kit – the sort of thing that teams couldn’t get away with now, but Juventus pulled it off. It was worn in the 1996 Champions League final, where Juventus won their second European Cup, beating Ajax on penalties.
Italy (Home) 1990
To include yet another international shirt, the 1990 edition of Italy’s home kits was a belter. Deemed to be one of the most important shirts in footballing history, the Italian home shirt was sported at the Euro 2000, where Italy come runners up. Maldini, Cannavaro, Del Piero, Nesta, Totti, and many others competed in the 2000 Euro in this kit. Everything from the collar to the stitching screamed Italy, along with the tight fit.
Palermo (Home) 2007-08
Everyone’s go-to pink football jersey, the Palermo home kit of 2007-08 was an instant classic. Pink is Palermo’s colour – it’s the first thing that comes to mind, and no other team could pull it off quite like they do. However, the 2008-08 season kit gained particular popularity, with the Lotto branding and the likes of Edison Cavani and Andrea Barzagli wearing the kit. There are very few other kits like this one, and it makes it into the list despite being only 15 years old.
Torino (Third) 2014-15
If you thought having an away kit was a brave display of inclusivity, Torino’s third shirt is impossible to deny. Less than 10 years old, this 2015 Torino shirt had a bold yet elegant design. Of course it’s Kappa – who else? It was a blend of modern with granata, but the large overbearing bull printed on the hip to the chest gets all of the attention. This is adapted from the club’s nickname, il Toro, and the emblem of the club. Although it’s quite divisive, what’s unanimously a great touch is that the bull print is shaped and designed by the printing of the most important player names in Torino’s history – including the fallen heroes from the Superga air disaster in 1949.
