Adidas have spun their random Real Madrid kit generator again, this time selecting a gold trim and round-neck collar for the 2019-20 season.
So protective of their saintly shirts are Real Madrid that the only innovation they will seemingly sanction each season is a change in secondary colour (black, gold, blue or purple) and the shape of their collar.
That serves to hamper the creativity of Adidas, who have supplied Los Blancos’ shirts for more than 20 years now, and we couldn’t help but feel a little sense of deja-vu after this design was confirmed after months of rumours and online leaks.
Reminiscent of the the garb worn by Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator, the Spanish giants new shirts are strikingly similar to those from the 2011-12 season when Jose Mourinho delivered another La Liga title to the Bernabeu.
The glowing, brilliant white of this season’s Los Merengues’ shirts is embellished with golden details that continue to the shorts and socks; all apparently inspired by the royal crown that sits atop their crest.
In a world where other clubs chasing the potential pester power of Planet Earth’s kids are happy to abandon their kit traditions, we should probably applaud Real for sticking to the plain look which has been one of the most influential designs in football history.
Football kit enthusiasts wishing for a little more experimentation will need to wait for Real’s away kits, but we felt there was possibly more Adidas could have done in 2019-20 without necessarily adding tribal patterns into the mix.
Of course we imagine that Adidas are working to a very narrow design brief here, but perhaps there was room to go even more minimal with trim features in white for a more classic look?
Overall, it’s a perfectly safe and well constructed shirt which screams summer holiday soccer school.
Be prepared to see it everywhere from Madrid to Maidenhead.
What do you think of the latest Real Madrid home kit?
What innovation would you like to see in their future shirts?
Sartorial Soccer 