The best jerseys are those without sponsors

Sponsorship contracts are the basis of any business model for a professional football club. Nowadays, remaining competitive at high levels without a series of agreements guaranteeing hundreds of millions of euros per year is unthinkable. The evolution of this trend has had aesthetic consequences and led to an increasing invasion of patches on game shirts. Most uniforms today feature a central main sponsor, a back sponsor and a sleeve sponsor. Finding clean models is increasingly difficult, but in recent years, partly out of necessity and partly out of the clubs' own desire, sponsorless models have been created that can also find their place in everyday life. Football jerseys have been cleared through customs as fashion items, the latest example in this respect being the photo of Kim Kardashian wearing a Roma jersey from the 1997/98 season, and a sponsorless uniform lends itself perfectly to the idea of style and elegance.

Barcellona – 2003/04

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438711

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438710

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438712

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438713

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438714

Barcelona was the club that more than any other has tried not to bow to the logic of marketing and until 2006 never 'soiled' its jersey with a sponsor. While respecting tradition, the union with Nike has nevertheless led to experiments on an aesthetic level that go against the club's tradition. Above all, the phosphorescent yellow away jersey made for the 2005/06 season, while for the 2003/04 season, a more elegant kit was created: a wide gold jersey with very thin horizontal blue lines well spaced from each other, dark blue details and a polo collar.

Celtic – 2022/23

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438729

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438730

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438731

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438732

To meet the wishes of its fans, Celtic offers the possibility to purchase its kits also in a clean version without sponsors. Green, the club's corporate colour along with white, obviously takes centre stage, especially in this season's away shirt. It is in fact a dark green uniform with horizontal bands of a brighter green enhanced by the white borders that make this shirt look like a pinstripe suit.

Lazio – 2018/19

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438728

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438724

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438727

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438726

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438725

For the 2018/19 season, Lazio decided to take a dip into the past by reintroducing the shirt with the eagle on the chest for the entire year. The design echoed the shirt made by Ennerre for the 1982/83 season, with a stylised eagle along the central strip of the shirt whose unfurled wings also extend onto the sleeves and for a brief nod also onto the back. The new version was produced in two colours: the classic light blue and white one with the eagle depicted in dark blue to separate the two shades and a black one with eagle and collar in light blue. This second model was designed to be the goalkeeper's kit and is therefore also available in a long-sleeved version.

Boca Juniors – 2022/23

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438716

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438718

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438717

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438715

Another club that has made tradition its aesthetic hallmark is Boca Juniors. The sky blue jersey with a yellow horizontal stripe is one of the most recognisable in the world and the 2022/23 version is probably also one of the most elegant ever seen on a football pitch. Adidas has created an 80s-inspired model with a polo collar and V-neckline whose details are all in yellow. The away jersey, white with a navy blue central horizontal band accompanied by two thinner yellow bands, is instead a more modern model, but essential at best, as it does not even have the logo but four letters stitched at heart height, representing the club's acronym.

Venezia – 2022/23

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438707

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438708

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438706

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438709

When it comes to football and elegance, one has to deal with Venezia. In the last two years, the club has managed to build great credibility, both among fans and insiders, for its ability to create kits with great aesthetic impact. Two different models have been created for the 2022/23 season. The home jersey marries tradition: a black jersey enriched by orange and green taping, with gold decorations and a collar with a single button closure. The away jersey is a fresher product, a light cream crew-neck jersey with gold detailing and orange and green stripes.

Roma – 2016/17

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438721

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438722

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438720

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438723

The best jerseys are those without sponsors Finding clean models has become increasingly difficult in recent years | Image 438719

Tradition and style. The two concepts behind the away jersey created by Nike for Roma for the 2016/17 season, a shirt with a shade of white defined at the time of presentation as "warm and original, inspired by the colour of the urban landscape of Rome and its ancient and iconic architecture". Completing the uniform is a crew neck with a red stripe on the back and sides of the jersey, but above all the Lupetto, the iconic coat of arms edged in yellow and red that, in the words of the Drugo from The Big Lebowski, sets the tone and adds a touch of class to a jersey that is as elegant as it is essential.

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