The football hipster in us is excited.
When most football fans talk about LaLiga, I’m sure most eyes would be drawn to perennial giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona or even Champions League regulars, Valencia FC and Atletico Madrid. However, the LaLiga is also home to many other teams around Spain with a history just as rich and kits just as appealing to the football hipster.
Thanks to our good friends from LaLiga, we scouted some of our favourite LaLiga kits from the more obscure teams around Spain from recent seasons. And in the spirit of all things Spanish, the kits are produced by local brands, Joma and Kelme.
Deportivo Alaves
Deep in the autonomous Basque country, Athletic Club and Real Sociedad are usually seen as the big boys of the region. In terms of stature, Deportivo Alaves comes in at a humble third but we seem to find a lot of charm in their kit.
Their royal blue and white striped shirt looks simple but its simplicity greatly represents the city’s values of hard work and humility. Small details also work itself well into their kits with their initials, “DA”, finding a spot on their kit. Their strong Basque identity is usually represented with the appearance of the red, green, white Basque Country flag – in this case of the 18/19 kit, on the back of the neck area.
Their humble background is also reflected in their 19,000 capacity stadium, soon to be expanded to 32,000 seats come 2021 to celebrate their centenary year where the blue and whites will shine in front of their Basque countrymen.
Rayo Vallecano
The founders of Rayo Vallecano were greatly inspired by River Plate, one of Argentina’s great clubs, and it’s hard not to see that connection with the red/white colours and that sash. You can’t blame them, a sash is always classy.
Commendably, they’ve also used that sash to good use, creating a version with a rainbox in support of not just the LGBT community but also people who are battling cancer, depression, integration of disabled people, people striving to protect the environment and victims of child abuse and domestic violence.
A classy LaLiga outfit in more ways than one, we hope to see Rayo Vallecano back in the big leagues as they blaze a trail in the Segunda division.
SD Huesca
LaLiga kits don’t come in more iconic colours than this but don’t be fooled, this ain’t FC Barcelona. It’s SD Huesca, who only spent 1 season in the top division, during the 2018-19 campaign. And it’s this kit from their inaugural season that caught our eye.
A simple horizontal colour blocking effect does the trick for us as we can only hope Huesca make their way back to the LaLiga top flight soon.
Villarreal CF
The Yellow Submarines are easily the most popular team on this list due to their European exploits. Villarreal is based in a quaint town which boasts only 50,000 inhabitants but have hosted Champions League semi-finals and had big names such as Robert Pires, Juan Roman Riquelme, Diego Forlan and now, Spanish international, Santi Cazorla.
They’ve all worn that beautiful yellow kit that is just so timeless and clean. But I also do feel that the timelessness of the kit reflects the values of the club which are known for an excellent youth academy and strong connections with their passionate community. Villarreal and their bright yellow kit are just so easy to love.
Getafe CF
Getafe are flying high so far during the current 2019/20 season. At the time of writing, they’re sitting in a fourth place above city rivals, Atletico Madrid. Just like the previously mentioned Deportivo Alaves, they’re the third most supported in their city but that hasn’t given Getafe an inferiority complex.
Their kits have definitely embodied their ferocity and fight they bring to their pitch. I absolutely love the claw marks that appear on the sleeves of their kits and it’s been a recurring feature through the seasons. This is actually a tribute to the Getafe fan group, Peña 4 Gatos, which roughly translates to “Group for the Cats”.
The cats’ kit from last season even sported trims with the colours of the Spanish flag, giving it a colour pop that we didn’t expect but love all the same.
Did we miss any LaLiga kits from our list? Let us know in the comments below.
