After an incredible season where they won their domestic double and a legion of new admirers on route to the Champions League semi-finals, Ajax have unveiled an awesome set of away kits for the 2019-2020 season.
As their Champions League run progressed, Ajax’s version of the fairly standard Adidas Regista 18 template in black, white and raw gold seared itself onto our memories as a new generation of home-grown heroes emerged, dishing out shock victories over Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham on their travels.
If football was decided by strength of balance sheet, nobody would have given them a chance, but as generation after generation of young talent has shown, you can’t underestimate the Total Football principles of Ajax and the game’s most famous finishing school.
Sadly, that brand of exuberant, free-flowing, and fearless football did not make a date in Madrid for the final on June 1st, but Ajax and their 19 year-old captain Matthijs de Ligt left the world in no uncertain terms as to who they were and what they were all about.
Ajax were back at the top table of European football again.
So how do you follow a season and an away shirt like that?
The answer for Adidas and Ajax seems to be to go back to the future.
Reminiscent of the green Umbro shirts worn by the Dutch giants between 1991-93 and then 1993-94, the new design’s colours are refreshingly described by the club simply as “green and orange.”
Embroidered on the left of the chest is the famous club badge depicting the colossal, heroic warrior of the Trojan wars, Ajax, who is drawn using just 11 lines, each one representing a member of the team.
As all good football shirts should be, this beauty is 100% polyester and whereas the material is much lighter and less prone to nipple-rub than the Umbro shirts of the early 1990s, Adidas’ Climalite kits are a great deal more forgiving in their sizing than their competitors, making for a far more comfortable wear for supporters.
Subtle stripes complete this modern interpretation of two of the club’s favourite old designs.
Ajax debuted their new away shirts as they sealed the Eredivisie title with a 4-1 win at De Graafschap.
Whether Erik ten Hag can keep his squad together over the summer and achieve similar success next season remains to be seen, but for our money, this has been one of the most pleasing new releases of the end of season football shirt scramble.
What do you think of Ajax’s new away kit?
Please let us know in the comments section below!
Sartorial Soccer 