8 Amazing Football Shirts That Did Not Make It To Euro 2021
Nov 19, 2020, by Simon
- Euro 2021 Qualification: Eight teams played playoff matches to determine the final participants for the postponed Euro 2020 tournament, meaning there will be no more international breaks until late March.
- Expanded Tournament: The UEFA Euro tournament has grown significantly, from 8 teams until 1996 to 24 teams since 2016, allowing smaller nations to participate.
- Unseen Kits: The article highlights eight national teams with unique and attractive football shirts that won't be seen in the Euro 2021 tournament due to their teams not qualifying.
Finally, the guessing game is over and the 24 teams for the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 are certain. This international break, 8 remaining teams played their last 4 playoff matches to determine those who participate in the final competition. This means that football players will not be bothered again with international breaks for some time to come (late March).
Interestingly, the Euro never was such a big tournament as the UEFA steadily increased the starting field. Up until 1996, only 8 teams participated with the UEFA doubling the amount of participants for this occasion. Since 2016, 24 teams compete in the UEFA Euro. This is also the reason for unknown football nations such as North Macedonia to have a chance.
Unfortunately, football shirts do not influence the performance of a nation and there have been upsets in this regard. We want to take a look at 8 national teams and their beautiful football kits that will never get the broader attention they truly deserve.
Bulgaria 20-21 Home Jersey
The Joma Bulgaria 2020 football shirt is predominantly white with a green-red chest band, inspired by the famous 1965 World Cup play-off against Belgium.
Greece 2020-21 Home & Away Kits
Both Greece 2020-21 jerseys share the same look: they feature a unique sash in combination with a white respectively blue base. It is a very clean approach by US sportswear giant Nike with the focus on one standout element as Greece misses out on the third major tournament in a row.
Iceland 2020-21 Home & Away Kits
During the Euro 2016 in France, Iceland made a name for themselves by displaying emphatic performances to massively upset big football nations in what was their first appearance in a major tournament. Now, Puma scooped the small nation to unveil stunning shirts as well as a new logo. However, their efforts will go largely unnoticed as Iceland dramatically missed out against a gunning Hungarian side.
Luxembourg 2020-21 Home and Away Kits
Of course, Luxembourg is not a country that will ever qualify for a major tournament by regular means, but Macron and UEFA striked a deal which means that smaller European nations no longer receive teamwear kits straight off-the-peg. This year, Macron really stepped up their international game another notch by producing 2 stunning efforts for the often overlooked country.
Norway 20-21 Away Kit
Norway has a team that features many promising players and the disappointment is immense after losing out against Serbia in the first round of path C. The expectations were high and many consider this to be a golden generation. For now, this is only on paper and Norway will have to prove their qualities come the World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
The Nike Norway 2020 away jersey boasts a unique design in different shades of blue. The Nike Norway 2020 away jersey boasts a graphic design reminiscent of icebergs.
San Marino 2020-2021 Home & Away Kits
San Marino is also part of UEFA's deal with Macron and another small nation that received two beautiful football shirts from the Italian brand.
Serbia 20-21 Home Kit
Serbia got eliminated by Scotland as they will reach their first major tournament in what seems like an eternity (last participation was World Cup 1998). Serbia missed out on penalties (4-5).
Very much inspired by Puma's current theme, The Puma Serbia 2020 home football shirt is mainly red with a geometrical pattern on the front and sleeves.
Slovenia Home and Away Kits
Similar to previous shirts, both Nike Slovenia 2020 football shirts come with an abstract mountain shape. The Nike Slovenia 2020 football shirt combines the colors sky blue, navy blue and white, while the Nike Slovenia 2020-2021 away jersey is green at the top and blue at the bottom, with the mountain graphic colored in white.
Which mentioned football kit do you like the most? What do you think of UEFA tripling the amount of participating teams within 20 years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
Leaked: 1. FC Nürnberg 26-27 Away and Third Kits Spotted
Following the official release of their 26-27 home shirt earlier in July, images of 1. FC Nürnberg's new away and third kits for the upcoming season have surfaced online after being spotted in-store.
Produced by Adidas, the Nürnberg 26-27 away kit features a clean white base incorporating an Adidas Trefoil logo on the right chest for a retro-inspired look. A horizontal band featuring red and black stripes runs across the front, framed by red collar detailing and black three stripes on the shoulders.
Meanwhile, the 26-27 third kit opts for a bold color-blocked design. The jersey combines a red body and black sleeves with a wide black horizontal panel across the middle section. Unusually, the modern white Adidas logo is centrally stacked directly above the club crest on the upper chest.
Both alternative kits are expected to be officially released shortly.
No More Kappa: Adidas Le Mans FC 26-27 Home and Away Kits Released
French club Le Mans FC has officially launched its new home and away kits for the 26-27 season, marking the beginning of a new supplier deal with Adidas. Taking over from previous manufacturer Kappa, the German brand has signed a contract running until 2030 to supply technical apparel for the team.
The Le Mans 26-27 home shirt features a bold vertical stripe design combining the club's traditional red and yellow colors with beige detailing. The 26-27 away kit comes in predominantly yellow with a horizontal red chest band trimmed in white, paired with red Adidas details on the shoulders and chest. These new primary options join the previously released 26-27 third shirt, which features a green and white checkered graphic inspired by the famous local motorsport racing heritage. All three shirts are now available through the club's official store.
FC Dordrecht 26-27 Home Kit Released
Dutch Eerste Divisie club FC Dordrecht has officially launched its new home kit for the 26-27 season, crafted by Capelli Sport. The new uniform stays true to the club's traditional color scheme while offering a refined visual design for the upcoming campaign.
The FC Dordrecht 26-27 home shirt features a green base decorated with a subtle geometric grid graphic pattern across the torso. A prominent white horizontal hoop runs across the chest, framing the main sponsor text. White sleeves with green cuffs, a clean white V-neck collar, and Capelli's trademark shoulder cubes give the kit a structured look.
Positioned on the left side of the chest is the FC Dordrecht crest with the Energiek Dordt text placed directly above, paired with a white Capelli Sport brand mark on the right chest. The kit will be worn throughout FC Dordrecht's 26-27 Eerste Divisie matches.
1. FC Magdeburg 26-27 Third Kit Released
German 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Magdeburg and technical sponsor Hummel have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 26-27 season. Named "Platte", the charcoal and black shirt pays tribute to East German urban architecture and local fan culture.
The 1. FC Magdeburg 26-27 third shirt features a dark base highlighted by a tonal front graphic depicting an M10-type Plattenbau residential building block, an iconic feature of Magdeburg's cityscape since the 1970s. Designed in collaboration with fan group Block U, the kit incorporates street art elements throughout, including customized graffiti-style renderings for main sponsor Humanas on the chest and sleeve sponsor SWM.
Additional details include "Aus der Platte" printed inside the collar alongside graffiti-inspired lettering, white Hummel chevrons on the shoulders, and the founding year 1965 on the upper back. The player names and squad numbers are also presented in a custom graffiti tag font to complete the street-inspired look.
Darmstadt 98 26-27 Away Kit Released
German club SV Darmstadt 98 and kit supplier Craft have officially unveiled the team's new away kit for the 26-27 season. The new strip introduces a refined, retro-inspired aesthetic, featuring an elegant off-white cream base complemented by classic blue details.
The centerpiece of the Darmstadt 26-27 away jersey is a bold royal blue horizontal chest band, which contains a subtle tonal fleur-de-lis pattern inside as a nod to the club's iconic lily symbol. Centered directly above the chest stripe are the blue lily badge and the Craft logo, while main sponsor HAIX is printed inside the chest band in white. Blue detailing on the sleeve cuffs and shoulder seams completes the clean look.