The Evolution of a Soccer Jersey

In previous Blogs you may have noticed how I keep mentioning my interest in sports. Well this blog is based all on the evolution of soccer jerseys and what they represent in the modern world.

Once upon a time the simple soccer jersey was used to distinguish between the different teams playing the game. A change in the jersey was very rare until 1954 Brazil who wore a newly designed jersey at the World Cup. This was the only change ever seen in world football until 1973 when Admiral, an English insurance company, signed a deal to supply the Leeds United jersey. The deal meant that Leeds could sell replica jerseys with the Admiral logo on, making them recognizable. A whole new market was born.

Jersey sponsorship would follow although the big clubs were reluctant about this, with lower league clubs around Europe applying to have advertising on their shirts. This flow became more common withing the top leagues helping the pave the way for lots of record-breaking deals over the years, with suppliers and advertisers.

Real Madrid, arguably the biggest club in Europe, have a $125 million per season deal with the well-known Adidas to supply their kit. Not only has the financial aspect of the jersey developed but the design and technology used in the shirt itself has gone through the roof. Nike were one of the first companies to bring in a design that allowed the jersey to keep sweat away from the person wearing it. The drive to find that sporting edge prompted them to develop lighter jerseys to help with speed and endurance. The dri-fit technology even helps keep sweat away from the players during the game.

Italy’s World Cup 2014 kit took the evolution of soccer jerseys a step further as it “featured a special tape that micro-massaged player’s muscles as they wore it”. The aim was to help a player’s physical recovery by massaging them whilst the jersey was being worn. Labelled a ‘compression kit’, Uruguay also wore a similar jersey at the 2014 tournament.

The technology is only going to progress even further. With sports science becoming an increasingly popular aspect of soccer, jerseys are being developed with heart rate monitors and GPS tracking signals in them. This will help coaches understand their players’ performance and requirements down to the finest detail.

From simply being a way to differentiate between two teams, soccer jerseys have become a huge industry. They’re used as a method to develop revenue and income, with big clubs such as England’s Manchester United making huge sums of money from selling shirts with players’ names on.

They’re also playing a key role in aiding performance and understanding the athletes better, making the soccer jersey an integral part of the modern game in more ways than one.

For me, my interest in this is huge. I have began customising my own soccer jerseys and GAA jerseys using the Photoshop software. I plan on designing a number of different jerseys and maybe even showcasing some of this work in my portfolio when the time comes.