Historical Football Kits

2016 UEFA European Football Championship

France

The 15th iteration of the European Championships was awarded in May 2010 to France who were chosen over Italy and Turkey. This is the third time that the competition has been hosted by the French and is the first to feature 24 teams. Although the expanded format attracted criticism, it did allow middle ranking teams an opportunity to qualify and there are five national sides appearing for the first time. The assumption that the top teams would qualify without difficulty was confounded when the Netherlands crashed and burned in the qualifying competition.

The format changed from previous competitions with two extra groups in the first stage and only eight of the 24 finalists eliminated in the group stage.

Terrorist attacks in Paris during 2015 cast a shadow over the tournament but suggestions that it be moved or even cancelled were dismissed and the tournament would go ahead as planned albeit with considerably enhanced security.

A notable absentee from the draw for the final group stages was UEFA's president, Michel Platini, suspended by FIFA's Ethics Committee while Swiss prosecutors investigated allegations of a "disloyal payment" of £1.6m made to him by Sepp Blatter, also under suspension.

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Knock Out Stages

European Championships Index

Group A

France

Designer: Nike

France have returned to mid blue combined with red stockings and deeper blue sleeves in the new Vapor template. The breast plate pattern embossed into the front of the shirt appears on several of Nike's shirts. The change strip is an interesting break with tradition but it turned out that the differently coloured sleeves contravene UEFA's rules so it could not be used.

Replica shirts do not have the breast plate pattern: fans who want this will have to shell out £99.99 for the "match" version. Now rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying - "le off-rip."

Romania

Designer: Joma

Making their fifth appearance in the finals, Romania are wearing their familiar all-yellow strip trimmed in the national colours. The alternative is red, as usual.

Albania

Designer: Macron

The Italian manufacturer Macron were chosen by the Albanian Football Federation to produce the kits for their teams first ever appearance in the finals of any major tournament. The bars across the chest evoke the Albanian double-headed eagle which also replaces the usual badge.

Switzerland

Designer: Puma

The Swiss are wearing an unremarkable Puma design with two-tone hoops on the first choice shirt. The alternative is much more interesting. Red shorts will be probably needed for both strips particularly if the Swiss progress beyond the group phase.

Group B

England

Designer: Nike

Rumours that England would wear all-white with red socks proved correct but nothing prepared us for the sheer awfulness of the designs. The colours are not traditional while the contrasting socks look awkward. To add insult to injury, Nike used the same "Vapor" template (note the American spelling) for other international "partners," elevating their own branding above the traditions of the football federations they are contracted to.

(Bazza Houston)

Russia

Designer: Adidas

Modern Russian strips feature strong nationalist symbols while the first choice kit can be in various shades of red. This time round deep maroon trimmed in pale gold serves as first choice. The Russian two-headed eagle is worn on the left breast rather than the crest of the Russian Football Union and features as a repeated watermark in the fabric of the shirt. The change strip mirrors the colours of the national flag with a large eagle printed into the front of the shirt.

Wales

Designer: Adidas

Wales' achievement is reaching the Euro finals for the first time is not diminished by the quality of the opposition in their qualifying group, which included Israel, Cyprus and Andorra. They lost just one of their matches against Bosnia & Herzegovina and took four points off Belgium who topped the group. Their new strips were launched in November.

Slovakia

Designer: Puma

Slovakia are making their debut in the Euro finals. Their first choice colours are white with blue trim, currently in the latest Puma template. UEFA regulations allow teams to wear the badge of their national federation as well as a national symbol and Slovakia have taken advantage of this. The change strip is blue with attractive turquoise trim and a distinctive pattern of sublimated stripes on the front of the shirt.

Group C

Germany

Designer: Adidas

The reigning world champions are appearing in the Euros for the 12th time, more than any other nation. Their latest first kit is a simple affair in the latest Adidas design with the national colours confined to piping on the cuffs and the back of the collar. The second strip is far more adventurous and is inspired by street football. Replicas are reversible with a neon green torso to resemble a training bib. Well I never.

(Jack Henderson)

Ukraine

Designer: Adidas

Thanks to their similar rankings, Ukraine and Russia were placed in the same pot during the draw for the finals, ensuring that they could not be drawn in the same group, a relief for the organisers given the current political tension. Ukraine's first kit is all-yellow as usual and features the latest Adidas gimmick, an irregular plaid pattern on the shirt that has, incorrectly, been described as tartan. HFK can assure confused visitors that there is no such thing as the McUkraine tartan.

Poland

Designer: Nike

Poland's latest strips are Nike's Vapor template but with self coloured shoulders and sleeves. There is a subtle swirling pattern embossed into the lower part of the shirts that represents the distinctive device worn by Polish Winged Hussars between the 16th and 18th centuries.

(Столярчук Іван, Lucas Santos)

Northern Ireland

Designer: Adidas

With a UEFA ranking of 33rd (out of 53), Northern Ireland are on paper the weakest team in Euro 2016. Nevertheless, they won their qualifying group finishing ahead of Romania, Hungary, Finland and former winners Greece, no mean achievement. Their new first choice strip was not well received by supporters because of the inclusion of blue in the shirt. In the days before partition, the Irish team habitually wore a deep shade of St. Patrick's blue. Amusingly, when the new change strip was launched the IFA tweeted, "Better?"

Group D

Spain

Designer: Adidas

After a disappointing World Cup the current European champions lost just one match in their qualifiers. It remains to be seen if the current side can emulate their predecessors and win the title for a third time in succession. The first kit returns to traditional colours although the blue trim on the sock turnovers is a first. The change strip is a stunning fusion of abstract art and football kit design.

As reigning champions. the Spanish team get to wear their own competition patch on their right sleeve.

Czech Republic

Designer: Puma

The Czech's first strip is based on the latest Puma design but subtly combines two shades of deep red and a striking chevron motif on the front of the shirt. Second choice is white trimmed in blue with red details.

Turkey

Designer: Nike

The geometric lines on the shirts are supposed to evoke the complexities of Ottoman architecture. Personally I think the red/black version looks more like a Spiderman costume. The last time Turkey played in the Euro finals they had a turquoise and white change kit. The word turquoise derives the French Turques because this mineral was originally imported into Europe via Turkey.

Croatia

Designer: Nike

Croatia's famous checkerboard shirt has been given an interesting twist so that it resembles a fluttering flag. The change strip is the same design in two shades of blue.

(Столярчук Іван)

Group E

Belgium

Designer: Adidas

Adidas now supply Belgium and they have produced a first choice kit in the national colours that is not a patch on the designs created by Burrda, their previous partner. The change strip on the other hand is a different matter. Based on the outfits worn by the hugely successful Belgian cycling team, this is an outstanding effort. There is a curious detail in the socks. Belgium is deeply divided between its French and Dutch speaking communities so the name of the country is embroidered onto the shin in English, which is effectively their third language.

(Jack Henderson)

Italy

Designer: Puma

Italy's first strip has the classic simplicity of the outfits worn in the late 1960s with the addition of elegant pale gold piping. The change kit is another outstanding design and features the national colours as a vertical stripe down the front of the shirt.

Republic of Ireland

Designer: Umbro

Ireland's new first kit, which appeared in March, resembles the strip worn 1994 when Jack Charlton's team famously reached the second phase of the World Cup in the USA.

Sweden

Designer: Adidas

Sweden's latest first kit is a straightforward take on their traditional colours in the latest Adidas template. There is nothing traditional about the alternative, a striking dark blue outfit with a novel bloc on the front in three shades of grey.

Group F

Portugal

Designer: Nike

Portugal will wear red shirts and shorts with green socks as first choice and yes, it's another Nike Vapor design. The various tones of deep red are quite attractive but what on earth is going on with these breast plates? The change strip is in two very unusual shades of green.

Iceland

Designer: Errea

3,000 Icelanders travelled to Amsterdam to watch their team's historic victory over the Netherlands - that's 1% of the island's population. Few Icelanders have surnames, taking patronyms (or matronyms) instead and addressing each other by their forenames. Supporters have raised a petition to have only the players' first names on the back of their shirt to reflect this tradition.

Errea have delivered two distinctive strips in the national colours. The fade effect on the vertical stripe is achieved with a series of discs that diminish in size as they progress from the crest.

Austria

Designer: Puma

Austria topped their qualifying group: this is the first time they have reached the finals via the qualifying competition (they appeared in 2008 as cohost). Their first strip is Puma's latest design with diagonal lines that grade from dark to mid-red. The Austrian eagle appears for the first time without a background shield. The alternative is, as expected, in traditional white and black.

Hungary

Designer: Adidas

Hungarian supporters were invited to choose between two alternative designs for the first and second strips and the majority voted for plain shirts - the alternatives had pinstripes.

(Ádám Őri)