The new kits of EURO 2016

In a few months the fifteenth edition of the European Football Championship will begin. It will be played in France and those moments will trigger memories, emotions and apprehensions. The rhetoric wants that every European Championship is special, but the next one will be a bit more. It will certainly be a historic edition, the first expanded to 24 teams, which will activate complicated mechanisms once the group stage has passed.

The favourites for the victory are always the same: Germany, Spain, France, the eternal unfinished England, the new Belgium - perhaps at its last chance - and then, of course, Italy. It will be the European Championship of the rising stars, as Pogba, Verratti, or that of champions maybe at the last call as Ibrahimovic and Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo in some ways.

But every European Championship, as each World Cup, is also marked - at least for 20 years now - by the expectation of fans and insiders for the kits with which the national team will take the field. That is now a real area of ​​interest, around which revolve forecasts, leak and in style presentations.

After Nike's most recent releases, we tried to make the point of the 10 most "important" teams, or at least those wearing the nicest uniform. We then compared it with the ones the National team wore during their last international success (continental or international). For the national teams that have never won, we have chosen their best position at the European Championship.

 

France

The last international success of the French team goes back to a European Champ, that of 2000, also played very close to France itself. That team - fresh from the worldwide success – played with the strong leadership of Zidane. They still wore adidas uniforms, as yet will do for many years, until the passage in Nike. The new France, the one with Nike license and without Zidane has not always been lucky. Between scandals and mutinies, the cockerels have wasted a good amount of talent. They are called to win, and to do it at home, with Pogba and Benzema. The home kit is bringing a "royal blue" slightly lighter than the last editions, with the sleeves of a "navy blue" darker. Inserts and socks are red. The traditional colors of the French flag back in the second mesh, which - like the first and like all Nike uniforms - will be modeled on the new "Vapor Kit" technology.

Germany

"Football is a very simple game: 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and in the end Germany wins." This sentence would be enough of Gary Lineker and little else to remember the huge impact that the Germans, but in particular the German national team, have had on contemporary football. Despite the recent worldwide success, the uniform that we wanted to remind you is that one of the last European won, in 1996.  Germany has never abandoned adidas brand, consolidating over time a real "German-style", very recognizable on the football field. But the uniform of 1996 has always been one of the most beautiful, maybe because of the superb font of shirt numbers, or because of the collar in its way revolutionary. The biggest news that adidas introduced this year (we already talked about it here) is the new location of the three stripes, dropped from the shoulder to move to the side of the shirt. Much more particularly is instead the second kit, that for the first time will be reversible. From a gray and black horizontal stripes you can switch to a fluorescent green, inspired by the bibs for training and leading on the piece marked "Bolzen. Kicken. Pohlen ", the German word for street football.

Spain

The defending champions back to the past.  After adidas opted for "total red", Spain returns to its classic color combinations. That wants the blue shorts, as worn during the last European Championship won in 2012. At the new shirt instead they made some changes to the crest - in fully gold version - but especially the two tones of red with a triangular pattern that spreads throughout the T-shirt. Very Vintage is instead the second t-shirt, with a red and orange rhombus pattern (concentrated around the crest) reminiscent of the uniforms adidas 80s , that have been very successful among the fans.

 

Italy

Chapter: Italy. After years of questionable choices Puma has packed for the Azzurri a first mesh of absolute stylistic level, with the right gold trimmings and the reference to the tricolor. The inspiration is obviously that of the French '98 World Cup, although that national team wore Nike, the thin vertical stripes resemble very closely model. The technology used by Puma is ACTV Thermo-R, which allows players to maintain optimum body temperature. It is a uniform very different from the last international success at the World Cup in Germany in 2006, although even that was branded Puma.

 

England

One of the constants of British investments in worldwide and continental tournaments is the beauty of their uniforms. Whether Umbro and Nike (the two main sponsors of the English) England's kits have always been characterized by elegance and simplicity. No exception this time either, where even the traditional white is associated with a very light blue for the sleeves, with blue inserts and unusual red socks. Like all Nike uniforms presented for the European Championship, England shirt represent a special mesh panel on the chest, inaugurated by PSG last season. Second kit in red, like the jersey worn during the last (and to tell the truth only) England's European trophy. It was 1966, and on the uniforms, minimal in the purest sense of the way, was not even present the technical sponsor.

 
Portugal

"The new kit makes us feel stronger than ever, lighter, more competitive." The words are of the captain and symbol of Portugal, that Cristiano Ronaldo is now the real face of the new Nike technology geared to speed. The new uniform of Portuguese team recalls in some ways the last great European disappointment, when, in 2004, Portugal was defeated in the final by the incredible tournament that gave the victory to Greece. That time had the Nike Total 90 line, there was the famous circle the number, and much yellow boundary.

Turkey

The new uniform of Turkey, in both its variants, is perhaps the newest thing, stylistically speaking, seen in this release. Nike has renounced Vapor technology, making the Turkish jersey unique and knitted by a geometric pattern in black gradient. Very different from the last Turkish outlets, when Turkey was wearing a simple red jersey with white stripe. Disappear in fact references to the flag, and away edition is even introduced an unusual turquoise.

Belgium

Belgium was lateley labeled as more hipster team in Europe. Belgium of Hazard, Lukaku to, Witsel, is called now to the final step. The team coached by Wilmots has signed a sponsorship deal with adidas, which has delivered two very beautiful uniforms. Especially the second, colored in "Vapor Blue", and inspired by the shirts of Belgian cyclists, with the usual three stripes on the side (and not on the shoulder) and the colors of the central flag proudly.

Russia

In 2008 Russia played one of the best kicks ever seen in a continental context. They did it guided by the talent of Arshavin, wearing a Nike usual divided very minimal and inconspicuous. Completely different are the two variants that adidas presented for this French European, both very patriotic and - in particular the first - elegant in combining colors, burgundy and gold.

Sweden

Does not evoke fond memories, especially of the Italian fans, the couple of words: Sweden – European Championship. At 12 years form the famous "biscotto", Sweden ends in the same Italian group, still led (and for the last time) by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The sponsor has changed, by Umbro switched to adidas, which this year chose to alternate tradition and innovation in the two currencies. To the very classic home kit is matched by the choice of the second shirt with a scoop of very modern colors and especially in cotton, as happened for the second shirt of Real Madrid this year.