Just when we thought we’d seen it all when it comes to soccer kits, two clubs have pushed the boundaries further than ever before by launching new designs with two of the strangest gimmicks to date.
Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and LaLiga side Real Betis have found new ways of using their jerseys to assault the senses and tempt fans to part with their money, both of which you can see worn in action for the first time this weekend.
Leipzig have unveiled a shirt that literally outshines the competition, while Betis have released a pair of kits that actually smell of fresh fruit!
– Leipzig vs. Dortmund: Stream LIVE 2/21, 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (U.S.)
– Betis vs. Rayo: Stream LIVE 2/21, 10:15 a.m. ET on ESPN+ (U.S.)
– Man City, Spurs, PSG mark Lunar New Year with special kits
There’s a chance you might notice something a little out of the ordinary when RB Leipzig take to the pitch this weekend while wearing their new fourth alternate kit. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed not to notice the jersey’s major design quirk given that the hi-tech jersey actually glows in the dark.
Looking like something from the “Tron” universe, the shirt has a black base and a blue graphic overlay that is made up of abstract prints. The logos and sponsors are then applied using a UV sensitive material that is designed to glow turquoise in low light.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen glow-in-the-dark elements incorporated into football kit design; Napoli‘s most recent Halloween jersey featured a similar luminescent effect on the skeletal hands around the club crest on that special-edition shirt.
However, Leipzig and manufacturers Puma have taken it to the next level with the whole kit covered in glow-in-the-dark details. That includes on the back, where the names and squad numbers of players such as Johan Bakayoko, Lara Marti and Rômulo (who were enlisted to model the jersey for its launch) are lit up.
Leipzig will debut the kit when they face Borussia Dortmund under the floodlights on Saturday, although Die Roten Bullen will be forced into wearing a modified, non-glowing version due to the strict Bundesliga regulations that govern kit design.
As outlined in the German league’s kit rules (specifically rule 8.4), playing garments are not allowed to be made of reflective materials or anything material that changes colour or appearance due to external influences (i.e. light, water, temperature, etc). This also applied to the logos, names, numbers and badges affixed to kits.
So the Leipzig players may be wearing a pared-down, non-reactive version of their new fourth kit when they face Dortmund. But at least the fan’s replica shirts will glow, meaning they can stand out in the crowd and on their local five-a-side pitch.
Meanwhile, Real Betis and manufacturers Hummel have gone all-out to highlight the club’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.
Their new special-edition fourth-alternate outfield kit and fifth-alternate goalkeeper jerseys are quite literally made of oranges — the citrus that their home city of Seville is famous for producing.
In a bid to reduce the use of plastics in the manufacturing process, the shirts and shorts are constructed using low-impact materials including around 16% organic fibers derived from orange peel.
The theme continues with a texture woven into the shirt that is intended to mimic the surface of the citrus fruit itself.
There are even flashes of orange color used to highlight Betis’ famous green stripes on the outfield jersey and the blue and black bands on the goalkeeper shirt.
Just to cap things off, the names and numbering on the kits are applied using a chemical-free printing process and also harness a truly unique scratch-and-sniff feature that releases the scent of orange blossom flowers.
Betis will wear the kit for the first time in Saturday’s home match against Rayo Vallecano. Whether the shirts will still smell quite so sweet come the end of a 90-minute match in the heat of southern Spain remains to be seen (or, rather, sniffed).
