Socios to Sign More Main Kit Sponsor Deals?
Update: We have imagined how the kits of Bayern, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea would look with the Socios advertising. Of these teams, Arsenal and Barcelona already have regular sponsorship deals with Socios.
What If? 2021-22 Kits With Socios Sponsor
Italian giants Inter Milan have become the latest club to sign a deal with Chiliz, $CHZ (Socios), a blockchain provider for the global sports and entertainment industry. Will Socios sign further teams and main shirt sponsorship places?
Update: This article stated that the UFC Token was trading at a 95% loss from its initial €2 pricing. This was an error on our part as there was a mix-up with the Union Fair Coin token, which is also known as UFC. It appears that the actual Ultimate Fighting Championship Fan Token is not yet traded publicly as it was only launched in late June.
Socios Already Sponsors Dozens of Big Teams & Other Sports
Socios allows fans to "get closer to their club and, for example, vote for some things such as the design of the bus, or makes (social media) contests".
Earlier this week, Socios.com also added Arsenal to its portfolio. Their range of deals includes major football clubs Barcelona, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, AC Milan and Atlético Madrid as well as leading MMA brands Ultimate Fighting Championship plus some Formula 1 teams.
Socios can afford sponsorships due to "highly profitable business" rather than investor money
A report from SportBusiness suggests Socios can finance the deals by themselves and not by an investor.
According to Matthew Glendinning from SportBusiness, the brand’s marketing spend is not driven by investor capital, but by its profitability to date. They can afford sponsorships due to "highly profitable business" rather than investor money.
It seems pretty certain that it is the fans who lose their money & that Socios will sign more teams
With Socios apparently having a profitable business, it seems well possible that they will sign further front-of-shirt sponsor deals.
Socios.com Cryptocurrency - Rip-Off Of Fans?
However, while the concept of Socios sounds great at first glance, there are some questions about whether it is just a big rip-off of club supporters.
The business model and possible problems for fans were highlighted by @uglygame on Twitter.
What Socios Is
- A cryptocurrency company that partners with sports clubs to issues Fan Tokens
- People (they don't have to be club fans) buy these tokens, giving access to votes on aspects of the club
- Barca, Juve, PSG, and others are signed up
- Each club issues tens or hundreds of millions of tokens
- To buy tokens, you have to use Socios's own cryptocurrency, Chiliz
Problems With Socios
- Socios makes "indefinite" money of Initial Token Sales - they do not say how much money they make from the initial token sales
- Charges fans for influence on their club
- Votes often on pointless issues
- Anyone can buy tokens - inc. fans of other clubs
- Not One member, one vote
- Uses cryptocurrency
- Prices subject to wild swings for non-football reasons
- Encourages financial speculation
In the end, it seems to be all about speculation and the recent hype about crypto has helped most coins tokens gain a fair bit of traction earlier this year. The Chiliz (CHZ) coin price is up more than 1100% since the start of the year, but down almost 75% from its all-time high on March 13th.
Chiliz has a revenue target of $150m (€127.2m) in 2021, of which half is shared with its affiliated sports organizations. Socios is also investing $50m in an expansion into the US.
Socios pays Inter 20 million Euro for one season
It remains to be seen if Socios will sign further main sponsorship deals in the future but we would not be surprised to see them in the Premier League as well.
Do you think we will see Socios on the front of the kits of more football teams? Comment below.
Vintage Football Shirts
from Cult Kits
2002/03 Newcastle United Shearer #9 L/S Away Shirt (L) Adidas
2002 FC Tokyo Away Shirt (S) Adidas
1995/96 Adidas *BNWT* GK Template Shirt (L)
1990 Umbro #19 Italia 90 *BNWT* Reissue Template Away Shirt (Multiple Sizes)
1991 Cruzeiro GK Shirt (L) Finta
2021/22 Detroit City Bomber Jacket (M) Starter
1994 Club America Reusable Face Mask
Iconic Manchester United Shirts A3 Print
1988/90 Netherlands Home Shirt (L) Adidas
2010/11 Faroe Islands Home Shirt (L) Puma
Portuguesa 2026 Third Kit Released - Tribute to Portugal Ahead of 2026 World Cup
Brazilian club Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, commonly known as Portuguesa, has officially launched its new third kit for the 2026 season. Produced by technical sponsor Joma, the new uniform pays direct homage to the Portuguese national team, celebrating the club's deep historical roots as Portugal prepares to compete in the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
The new Portuguesa 2026 third jersey closely mirrors the classic look of the Portuguese national team, featuring a vibrant crimson red base enhanced by subtle jacquard detailing that provides a sense of movement to the fabric. The shirt is structured with a classic polo collar adorned with red and white edging and a green front point insert. The sleeves remain red with contrasting green underarm panels, while the cuffs match the collar's red and white trim.
Further solidifying the international tribute, the official coat of arms of Portugal is prominently displayed on the nape of the neck above the white player numbering. The alternative uniform is completed by green shorts and red socks, finalizing the classic Portuguese color scheme.
The kit is set to make its on-pitch debut this Saturday, May 16th, in a match against Água Santa.
Athletico Paranaense 26-27 Away Kit Released
Athletico Paranaense and Umbro have officially launched the Brazilian club's new away jersey for the 2026-2027 season. It will make its on-pitch debut in the Copa do Brasil against Atlético Goianiense.
The new Athletico Paranaense 2026-2027 away kit is white, with the traditional team colors prominently featured through a striking red and black gradient effect applied across the shoulders.
The uniform is further detailed with various subtle graphic elements referencing the history and symbols of the club, which are placed on the inside of the collar, the back hem, and within the custom numbering.
Adidas x Coca-Cola is coming
The 2026 World Cup year will see Adidas cooperating with Coke for a special one. Stay tuned for more on Footy Headlines tonight
Rubin Kazan 2025-26 Chemist's Day Special Kit Released
Russian Premier League side Rubin Kazan has officially unveiled a special-edition kit dedicated to the upcoming Chemist's Day. Created in collaboration with their general sponsor, Kazanorgsintez (one of Russia's largest chemical companies), the uniform is set to be worn during the club's final match of the 2025-2026 domestic season against Pari Nizhny Novgorod on May 17.
Produced in-house, the Rubin Kazan Chemist's Day kit introduces a fresh, delicate mint green base color, which is officially described as turquoise. The shirt's design is elevated by subtle textures and a geometric pattern directly inspired by the city's local urban infrastructure, specifically referencing the updated park territories around Lake Lebyazhye and the boulevard on Serova Street.
The club noted that the clean aesthetic was crafted with lifestyle appeal in mind.
The most striking elements of the kit are its bespoke thematic details that fully embrace the scientific motif. The collar features the special Russian slogan "Между нами химия" ("There is chemistry between us"). Additionally, in a brilliant nod to the holiday, the back of each player's shirt will display a unique chemical element from the periodic table that directly corresponds to their respective squad number.
What do you think of this creative periodic table concept and the mint colorway for Rubin Kazan's special kit? Let us know in the comments below.