False Alarm: No New Material for UEFA Champions League Sleeve Badges
1 hour ago, by Chris
- False Alarm on New Material: Rumors about UEFA introducing a new, thinner and flatter material for the 26-27 Champions League sleeve patches have been confirmed false.
- Manchester United's Role in Confusion: The speculation originated from Manchester United's promotional visuals, which featured digitally photoshopped mockups of the badges, not actual physical ones.
- Continuation of Traditional Material: It is now confirmed that the 2026-2027 UEFA Champions League sleeve badges will continue to use the established raised velvet and felt material, as shown in fresh in-store and corrected official club photography.
A few weeks ago, rumors emerged suggesting that UEFA was introducing a brand-new, thinner and flatter material for the 26-27 Champions League sleeve patches, replacing the traditional velvet-textured badges. The speculation was sparked by promotional visuals shared by Manchester United when advertising free Champions League badges on shirt orders in their official online store.
United's Photoshopped Visuals Caused Confusion
It has now been confirmed that there is no new material for the Champions League sleeve badges. The unusually flat and plastic-like appearance in the initial promotional graphics was simply down to digitally photoshopped mockups rather than actual physical badges applied to the kits. How did the confusion happen?
Manchester United first posted images with the wrong, old UEFA Champions League badges. They later photoshopped those photographs using a source PNG of the official UEFA Champions League badge. Some days ago, they finally made images with the actual velvet UEFA Champions League badges on their 2026-2027 kits.
Fresh in-store images and corrected official club photography clearly show that the 26-27 UEFA Champions League Starball and UEFA Foundation for Children sleeve patches continue to use the established raised velvet and felt material.
2026-2027 UEFA Champions League Sleeve Badge - Player Size
Do you like that the velvet Starball remains? Comment below.
VfL Osnabrück 26-27 Special DFB-Pokal Kit Released - Worn Against Bayern Munich
German club VfL Osnabrück have unveiled a special kit for their DFB-Pokal first-round clash against FC Bayern Munich. Manufactured by Capelli Sport, the one-off jersey pays homage to one of the biggest cup upsets in German football history, when Osnabrück defeated Bayern 5-4 at the Olympiastadion in Munich on September 23, 1978.
The Osnabrück 26-27 DFB-Pokal special shirt closely mirrors the clean aesthetic worn during that historic 1978 triumph. Predominantly white, it features a bold retro polo collar and matching sleeve cuffs in Osnabrück's signature purple.
Completing the look, the special edition kit is paired with matching white shorts and socks accented by purple detailing. The kit will be worn exclusively during the home cup tie against Bayern Munich at the Bremer Brücke and is available through the club's official retail channels.
Sergio Camello Scores Against Barcelona in White Adidas Predator 94 Remake Boots
Rayo Vallecano forward Sergio Camello delivered a notable boot spotting during their La Liga clash against FC Barcelona, taking to the pitch in the white Adidas Predator 94 remake boots. The Spanish striker put the heritage silhouette in the spotlight at Spotify Camp Nou, finding the back of the net twice while laced up in the inverted 1994 classic featuring a white base, black Three Stripes, and small, signature red accents.
Hanoi FC Uses Same Adidas Template as Mercedes F1 Shirt
Vietnamese V.League 1 side Hanoi FC and Adidas have unveiled the first kits from their new partnership, with the design immediately sparking discussion over its unusual short Three Stripes layout across the shoulders.
The shirt uses a new Adidas template with short 3-Stripes on the shoulders and a classic crew neck, a design primarily seen on takedown jersey (fan version). The same template is also used by Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1, including the team's latest “Vanda Bloom” collection. The purple colourway closely matches Hanoi FC's traditional identity.
The shirt uses a mixed construction: the body features standard Adidas Climacool fabric, while the sleeves use Player-version material.
What do you think of adidas using the same template for Hanoi FC and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.