Athletic Club Refuse to Wear New Copa del Rey Winners Patch, Claim They've Won 24 Instead of 23
Jan 27, 2021, by Pat
Introduced this campaign, the new badge depicting each team's number of Copa del Rey trophies is already causing controversy. Thanks to Marcos for the heads-up on this interesting story.
Athletic Club de Bilbao, one of the most successful teams in the competition, are refusing to wear the icon on their shirts due to an old controversy.
A bit like with Juventus in the Serie A, Athletic are refusing to accept their official number of titles won - 23 and instead claim that they've won it 24 times. This is due to the club also counting the 1901-02 'Copa de la Coronación' title, which is regarded as the precursor to the Copa del Rey, which officially started the year after.
There are several issues with the club's stance. For one, the 'Copa de la Coronación' was a friendly trophy and in addition to that it was not won by Athletic Club but instead by 'Bizcaya', a team representing the city of Bilbao that also included players from local side 'Bilbao Football Club'. Bizcaya defeated FC Barcelona 2-1 in the final.
However, the trophy is displayed at the club museum and also mentioned on the official website.
Athletic will travel to third division side Alcoyano, who miraculously defeated Real Madrid in the previous round, for the 2020-21 Copa del Rey Round of 16 on Thursday. It will be interesting to see whether they will continue to ignore the new badge.
Are Athletic's claims on the 1902 title deserved? Comment below.
Concept: What If World Cup Winners Wore Special Badges on Club Kits?
A creative concept visualized by Bleacher Report has sparked discussion among kit enthusiasts, posing an intriguing question: what if players who have won the FIFA World Cup were allowed to wear a special champion badge on their club kits? Under current FIFA equipment regulations, only reigning national team champions and Club World Cup winners are permitted to sport the official FIFA Champions Badge, but bringing an individual achievement patch to the club stage introduces a bold twist to modern shirt details.
The mockups feature World Cup winners wearing a sleek, gold trophy silhouette on their kit sleeves stamped with the year of their international triumph. The concept envisions players like Lionel Messi donning a 2022 patch on his Inter Miami shirt, Kylian Mbappé carrying a 2018 badge in Real Madrid white, and Rodri sporting a 2026 mark. It serves as an immediate visual marker of football's ultimate honor, staying with the player regardless of their club transfers.
In reality, domestic leagues and confederations enforce strict uniform guidelines that limit sleeve real estate almost entirely to league badges, sleeve sponsors, and charitable campaign logos. While regulatory hurdles make such a badge virtually impossible in professional football, the visualization offers a clean and compelling look at how personal legacy could be integrated into club kits.
Inter Milan 26-27 Third Kit Debuted
Inter Milan officially debuted their new Nike 26-27 third kit on the pitch during a dramatic 5-3 Serie A comeback victory against Udinese at the San Siro, just hours after its official unveiling.
Taking inspiration from the Nerazzurri's iconic look from the late 1990s, notably referencing the 1997-98 and 1998-99 shirts. the new third kit is built on a stone-grey 'Iron Ore' base featuring a subtle tonal jacquard pattern. The centerpiece of the design is a prominent black horizontal chest band accented by a thin 'Blue Spark' lower stripe. Bright 'Speed Yellow' details are applied to the Swoosh, the two-starred club crest, the Betsson.sport sponsor, and retro-styled 1990s font names and numbers.
