Fila to Return to Italian Football After 22 Years
Fila, one of the most iconic sportswear brands of the 90s, are back in the game as the new technical sponsors of Serie C side, Vicenza. This marks their first partnership with an Italian club since their deal with Fiorentina expired at the end of the 99-00 season.
Vicenza announce Fila Deal
Vicenza's kits had been manufactured by fellow Italian brand, Lotto, since the 18-19 season, with the most notable moment of that union coming earlier this year with the release of a controversial anniversary jersey, which led to trouble between the fans and club owner, Renzo Rosso.
Vicenza's 21-22 home, away and special kits by Lotto.
Fila will take over from Lotto starting from the 22-23 season, although the duration of the contract is unknown as of yet. What we do know is that 22 years have passed since Fila shirts last graced a professional game of football in their home country. The Nintendo-sponsored jerseys worn by Gabriel Batistuta for Fiorentina between 1997 and 2000 feature in many people's lists of best shirts of all time and are still very much sought after today.
Fila's History in Football
The popularity that Fila Fiorentina shirts have gained over the years may have skewed the perception of Fila's prominence in football, particularly in Italian football. In reality, they provided kits to a relatively small number of clubs around the world, and only made their first kits in 1997. Remarkably, Fiorentina were the only team ever to be sponsored by Fila in Italy's professional divisions, until now.
Vicenza are Fila's second ever Italian club, their first was Fiorentina.
Fila's most recent shirts for Jeju United and Maccabi Tel Aviv
Other clubs that were kitted out by the Italian brand in their late 90s and early 00s heyday include West Ham, Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as a smattering of other small to medium-sized clubs across Europe. They secured deals with some big South American clubs around the same time, such as Deportivo Cali, Allianza Lima and Botafogo, but their presence in football decreased steadily as the years went on and in the last few years they have been almost completely absent from the game. Before the Vicenza announcement, they had only been supplying kits to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel and Korean sides Jeju United and Gangwon FC.
Thanks to their cult status in sportswear, the great shirts they produced for West Ham and Fiorentina in particular, and of course the nostalgia factor, Fila's deal with Vicenza has been greeted with excitement by football shirt fans. Could this, only their second ever deal with an Italian club, be the catalyst for their regrowth within the sport? Will they try to increase their presence in Italian football going forward? And most importantly, how will the shirts look?
Are you glad to see Fila back in Italian football? Let us know what you think in the comments.
J.League x Pokémon: 60 Clubs, 60 Pokémon
The J.League has announced one of its most creative collaboration yet, teaming up with Pokémon for the 'Pokémon J.League Fest 'EVOLUTION!'' campaign ahead of the 2026-27 season.
All 60 clubs across J1, J2 and J3 have been paired with their own Pokémon, with the campaign following each Pokémon's evolution throughout the season across official artwork, graphics and promotional content.
The collaboration also celebrates 30 years of Pokémon (1996-2026) while building excitement for the new J.League campaign, which kicks off on 7 August.
Fans attending matches will receive one of one million exclusive EVO BAGs, each featuring Pikachu alongside the home club's partner Pokémon.
This isn't the first crossover between the two either. Back in 2014, the J.League and Pokémon launched the Family Join Days campaign, where young supporters received exclusive Pikachu trading cards at stadiums.
If your favorite club could be paired with any Pokémon, which one would you choose? Let us know in the comments below.
Hoffenheim Call Out Twitter Accounts Promoting Fake Kits
German club TSG Hoffenheim has taken a humorous approach to address a growing trend on social media involving the promotion of counterfeit football shirts. The club's official account posted a sarcastic message mimicking the exact language used by accounts that advertise fake kits. The post claimed to have found a really cool site for authentic shirts of top quality and insisted the endorsement was entirely voluntary, before directing users to a link in the replies.
Instead of linking to a counterfeit retailer, Hoffenheim's reply simply provided the URL to their official club shop. The joke directly targets a widespread practice on social media where various football-focused accounts promote unauthorized replica stores. In exchange for posting these scripted advertisements, the account owners typically receive a small number of free fake kits, valued at around 35 Euros, rather than monetary compensation.
1. FC Nürnberg 26-27 Home Kit Leaked - Official Pictures
The first real pictures of the 1. FC Nürnberg 2026-27 home kit have been leaked online by @Bundesleaker. Made by Adidas, the new FC Nürnberg 2026-27 home jersey will be worn in the UPCOMING 2. Bundesliga season.
Iwate Grulla Morioka 26-27 Home, Away & Goalkeeper Kits Released
Japan Football League team Iwate Grulla Morioka have unveiled new kit collection for 2026-27 season. The designs are made by famous English brand Umbro.
The four kits share two different templates: The white home kit and pink goalkeeper home kit features 3-D diagonal graphic with gradient effect, whereas the red away kit and yellow goalkeeper away kit use outlined stripes along with black and white details.
What do you think of Iwate Grulla Morioka 2026-27 kits? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Koper FC 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Slovenian PrvaLiga runners-up Koper FC have introduced their three new kits for 2026-27 season, partner with Macron for the 7th consecutive season.
The home kit featuring a striking yellow base with liquid-like pattern and blue trims. The same design is applied for the third kit, using black and gold as its colorway.
The away kit, on the other hand, uses a reverse pallete compared to the home kit, adding the city's skyline graphic across the chest.
What do you think of Koper FC 2026-27 kits? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.