We made Man United fan JayC (@nosajpersonlah) pick his top 5 City jerseys.
After months of speculation, Puma and Manchester City have finally confirmed their £650 million partnership which will span the next decade. This solidifies the massive growth they’ve had under the Etihad management.
This is Puma’s clearest signal of intent going into the 2019/20 season, having teased the partnership by putting customized boots on the likes of Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero and David Silva. Expect to see Puma to go big on the marketing front and possibly releasing more collaborations, similar to what Nike and PSG have been producing over the season.
Furthermore, this quote from Man City chief executive Ferran Soriano was particularly interesting. “Pep and the coaches are interested in the technical aspects of the shirt and the training gear. In terms of weight and so on to manage the heat and the sweat – not so much the colours but the technical aspects.”
Puma’s kits have been pretty hit and miss over the past few seasons and I’m excited to see what insights Pep Guardiola and the City players provide for next season’s jersey.
In light of City’s impending partnership with Puma, here’s my look back at Manchester City’s history, in 5 jerseys.
5) 150th Manchester Derby Jersey
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the modern era where club jerseys have become an advertising board of sorts, the 150th Manchester Derby harked back to the old days. When football was simpler, before sponsorship (and oil) money took over the game. Both teams wore clean jerseys with no trace of any brands, paying tribute to those who passed away in the 1958 Munich Air Disaster with City coming out 2-1 victors in an emotionally charged derby.
4) Blue Moon Rising
After a strange period which saw former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra being forced to sell the club due to politics and frozen assets, Sheikh Mansour took over and the rest, is history. Engineered by French brand Le Coq Sportif (loosely translated as “the athletic rooster”), this was the jersey that started City’s eventual rise to the top of the Premier League.
As was the trend back then, the kits had a baggier fit, which was great for fans. Also unique was Le Coq Sportif’s decision to shift its logo to the sleeve instead, giving maximum exposure to the club crest (and sponsor).
3) Why Always Me?
The Le Coq Sportif era was soon followed by the Umbro era, characterised by clean, retro looks. The jerseys themselves were simple and nothing to shout about. Enter Mario Balotelli.
Thanks to his “bad boy” reputation, the English press and tabloids had a field day inventing ridiculous stories and magnifying his every move in England. Cue another Manchester Derby, a Balotelli goal, and a message to the English public. After signing him as a sponsored athlete, Puma wasted no time, customising a gorgeous limited edition Puma EVOpower 1 around that now infamous question.
2) City Homage
As part of the Nike 2018/2019 3rd kit collection paying homage to the respective club venues, the City 3rd kit features a print formed by an aerial view of industrial East Manchester, the Etihad Stadium and its surrounding area. The sash also makes a return since the 2010/2011 season as City look to finish as Premier League champions for the second season in a row for the first time in their history.
1) The AGUERROOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Yea, wrapping up the list we’ve got one of the Nike jerseys. As with the early Nike designs, it was a safe design, kind of aping the retro looks that the Umbro ones had. Strange, can’t seem to remember why I listed this down as number 1 though…
¯\_(ヅ)_/¯
Honourable Mention: Worst Jersey of the Etihad Era
For all my praise for the Nike Vaporknit/Aeroswift technology, this is the worst jersey over the past decade. Due to the relatively new tech, Nike were unable to produce a variety of designs, which meant that every Nike sponsored club had the EXACT same template, albeit with very slight colour changes.
On pitch, ‘Bald Fraud’ Pep Guardiola finally made his highly anticipated debut in the Premier League, having enjoyed successful spells in Barcelona and Bayern Munich. It didn’t go to plan though, as City were left to scrap for 4th position despite dominating the league for the first half of the season.
