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Here's why you can't buy Australian national team's shirt

Well, you can but not with the same crest used by Jedinak and his teammates at the World Cup

Here's why you can't buy Australian national team's shirt Well, you can but not with the same crest used by Jedinak and his teammates at the World Cup

The most alerts jerseys collectors have probably already noticed during the first two matches, against France and Denmark: the Socceroos shirt that is on sale is not the same as that worn by Jedinak & Co. The reason lies in an imperceptible detail, located inside the federation's crest.

In the kits produced by Nike, both the gold one and the green one, at the chest stands the shield of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, one of the symbols of the oceanic Nation adopted in the early twentieth century that indicates the six great states of the country (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania), held up by two local animals, the emu and the kangaroo. As expressly stated in point 3.6 of the Australian Government guidelines, the use of this emblem is authorized for official sports competitions such as the World Cup, but it is not allowed to merchandise it.

Therefore, the technical sponsor Nike and the Australian Federation, the FFA, have decided to apply a very similar coat of arms' logo to the Replica version of the jerseys. In the official store of Australia, therefore, you can buy the jacket with an 'alternative' shield, which differs from the authentic one for a central star sphere that is placed in place of the symbol containing the six states.