We’ve got a real thing for Argentine football shirts, and instantly fell for Belgrano’s new pirate themed home and away kits.
Club Atlético Belgrano hail from Argentina’s second city of Córdoba and go by the nom de guerre, El Pirata (The Pirate).
These are the first releases from their brand new partnership with Erreà.
Founded back in March 1905, the club is named in honour of General Manuel Belgrano, a key figure in Argentina’s struggle for independence.
The club’s celestial blue home shirts are inspired by the flag of Argentina, which was created by Belgrano himself.
The home and away shirts are the work of former adidas designer Martín Tibabuzo, and riff on several of the city of Córdoba’s most famous landmarks, as well as various aspects of the club’s identity.
The most obvious statement is seen on the away shirt, where a skull and crossbones symbol replaces Belgrano’s regular badge in a move that will delight hardcore fans, international kit collectors and actual pirates alike.
Belgrano themselves say it may be the “most disruptive shirt in the club’s history.”
Look beyond that Jolly Roger motif, and you’ll see the real booty is in the pattern of the shirts.
Apparently designed to mimic the inkings of a tattoo artist, we see nautical depictions of rum-fuelled, rapscallion adventures interwoven with icons of the city, the club, and its origins.
The intention was to represent the pirate soul and what it means to be a Belgrano fan.
The results are stunning.
Aside from the romantic emblems of the club, we should also pay tribute to the colours of the kits themselves.
From a distance, that dreamy sky blue just glows on the home shirt, whilst the low contrast, almost squid ink colouring of the away number lifts it high above your common standard for black change strips.
As debuts go, this is faultless stuff from Erreà and we particularly appreciate the lengths they’ve gone to in seeking out the club’s identity and working with local artists to pull this collection together.
All picture credits to Erreà and Club Atlético Belgrano.
Sartorial Soccer 