Atalanta Signs Exclusive Partnership With Konami - Won't Be In FIFA 22
Konami has announced Atalanta to become its' next exclusive partner, joining other Serie A club Juventus, Napoli, Lazio and AS Roma.
We are excited to announce that @Atalanta_BC have become our newest Partner Club! The official, exclusive partnership will commence from the start of the 2021/22 season!
— eFootball PES (@officialpes) May 26, 2021
Watch the full Partnership Trailer below: pic.twitter.com/NdxAcHzI5v
Atalanta Signs Exclusivity Deal With KONAMI
The deal sees KONAMI becoming the “Official Video Game Partner” of Atalanta.
The Japanese game publisher secures exclusive rights to the use of the Atalanta license, including team name, crest and kits starting from the 2021/22 football season.
Naoki Morita, President at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. commented: “As we prepare to unveil the future of the eFootball PES series, I am delighted to announce this exclusive partnership with Atalanta B.C., a truly formidable club with an exciting future at the highest levels of European football."
"Working side by side with our Partner Clubs is an important element of our strategy to deliver industry-leading video games to football fans all over the world.”
“We are extremely delighted to announce the partnership with KONAMI”, said Luca Percassi, Atalanta B.C. CEO. “KONAMI is an international brand that needs no introduction. It represents another important moment of growth for Atalanta”.
The deal is another blow to KONAMI's rival EA Sports, who owns the FIFA franchise. The latter lost Juventus in FIFA 20 and subsequently AS Roma in FIFA 21.
Despite already signed an agreement with KONAMI, Napoli will still feature in FIFA 22 as their license won't be exclusive to KONAMI until the 22-23 season.
Lazio is the only club of the five that do not have an exclusive agreement with KONAMI.
What do you think of Atalanta becoming a PES exclusive? Comment below.
A Look Back at World Cup Shirt Number Typography
Football kit design account @PaladarNegroWeb has shared an interesting retrospective on the typography used for shirt numbers in recent World Cups. The visual language of football kits is often defined by these details, with fonts becoming instantly recognizable symbols of specific tournaments and eras.
The collage highlights various iconic typefaces worn by national teams on the biggest stage. spanning from the 2006 World Cup to the FIFA World Cup.
This overview is part of an ongoing series by the account exploring the visual elements of football. It serves as a great reminder of how deeply typography impacts the overall aesthetic and legacy of a football shirt.
Morecambe 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
Morecambe FC have officially launched their new 26-27 home and away kits, produced by Surridge Sports. The club received massive backlash for posting AI images for the launch, and later posted a clearer CAD of the home shirt.
The home shirt features the club's traditional red color palette with black detailing, while the away kit introduces a bold combination of purple and yellow. Both designs incorporate modern elements to provide a fresh look for the upcoming National League North campaign.
The new Surridge Sports Morecambe 2026-27 jerseys are currently available for pre-order through the club's official online store.
Puma Kits Keep Ripping at the 2026 World Cup
Puma is facing significant criticism at the 2026 World Cup as multiple national team jerseys have easily ripped during matches.
Incidents involving players from Czechia, Morocco, Egypt, and Paraguay have highlighted an ongoing durability issue with the brand's latest kits - every torn shirt in the tournament so far belongs to a Puma-sponsored team.
The Puma 2026 World Cup kits incorporate the latest version of PUMA's ULTRAWEAVE “Thermoadapt” technology, which obviously is not tear-resistant enough.
The recurring wardrobe malfunctions have resulted in terrible PR for the German sportswear manufacturer and even prompted the viral resurgence of Xherdan Shaqiri's infamous quote from Euro 2016, where he joked that he hopes Puma does not produce condoms.