7 Clubs With No Shirt Sponsor in 22-23
Shirt sponsorship has been the norm at club level since the 70s, but these seven clubs are outliers in that regard.
7 Clubs With No Shirt Sponsor
As teams try to squeeze as much advertising revenue as possible out of their kits, space on the sleeves, shoulders, and back of shirts is now increasingly occupied by companies that you've never heard of, usually with names that give no indication of what they actually do. While not all clubs have sold off these sections yet, central chest sponsors have been part and parcel of football kits for decades.
Clubs don't tend to waste time replacing a sponsor when their contracts run out, but in some cases there is a gap between the old and the new. It can be because of lofty financial demands, lengthy negotiations, some sort of scandal that leads to one party ending a deal unilaterally, a lack of potential suitors for a not-so-marketable club or simply a wait before the new deal comes into effect. Whatever the reason, it very often leads to a better-looking shirt. Take a look at these seven clubs who are currently in between chest sponsors.
Boca Juniors
The presence of the yellow band on Boca's iconic home shirt means that it will never look too plain in the absence of a sponsor. Their dramatic title win surely helped, but this one will become a classic.
Bordeaux
Likewise for Bordeaux, the chevron is an ever-present and fitting a logo around/over/under it without taking away from the overall look is not an easy task. Such a shame they've squeezed one in over the Adidas logo.
Colorado Rapids
MLS teams used to play with their name splashed across the front, so it really is odd to see a blank chest on an American club's jersey.
Granada
Granada seem to have an on-and-off relationship with chest sponsors, going without one in five of the last ten seasons. Looking at some of their previous partners, they're much better off alone.
Nottingham Forest
A case could be made here that a sponsor might actually balance out the high collar and tonal sleeve pattern of the home shirt, but it is nonetheless a nice change of pace for a Premier League team.
SPAL
Striped kits without sponsors always look great, but Macron have designed a real beauty for Spal this season. The gorgeous detailing on the front can be seen here in all it's glory, but they snuck in a small sponsor on the match kit.
Venezia
Venezia's kits have been drawing praise from all corners for the last few years, with part of the appeal being the stylised lettering on the chest. We hear a lot about the importance of "visual identity" for clubs and Venezia certainly know what they're doing in that department.
What do you think of the sponsorless look for these teams? Would any of them be improved by the addition of a logo? Comment below.
Grimsby Town 26-27 Third Kit Released
Grimsby Town and technical partner Lotto have officially revealed the club's new 26-27 third kit. Following the previous releases of their home and away strips, the new design draws inspiration from the earliest days of the Mariners playing at Blundell Park, combining a rich brown base with light blue and white accents.
The Grimsby Town 26-27 third jersey is predominantly brown, featuring a broad white chest band bordered by a thin sky blue line. The kit showcases an all-over sublimated diamond pattern across the body, with matching white and sky blue trim along the collar and sleeve cuffs. A monochrome white club crest sits on the chest, while a fisherman illustration is printed on the upper back as a sign-off detail.
Matching brown shorts and socks complete the full uniform for the Mariners. The new Lotto Grimsby Town 26-27 third strip will be available to purchase in-store from Friday, August 7, with online sales opening on Monday, August 10.
US Thionville Lusitanos 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
French club US Thionville Lusitanos has officially unveiled its new home and away kits for the 26-27 season, made in collaboration with Kappa. The new collection draws direct inspiration from the history, architecture, and soul of the city of Thionville. The reveal shoot took place at the historic Tour aux Puces, emphasizing the deep connection between the club and its local heritage.
The 26-27 home kit features a sky blue base with white trim along the collar and sleeve cuffs, complemented by custom graphic artwork along the lower hem depicting local landmarks and symbols. The away shirt shares the same design blueprint, opting for a clean light grey base paired with white accents and tonal architectural patterns near the bottom. Both shirts feature crewneck collars and host a range of local club sponsors.
The new Kappa US Thionville Lusitanos 26-27 home and away jerseys will be available to purchase starting August 14, 2026.
Oliver Baumann Slams FIFA Over World Cup Jersey Badge
Germany goalkeeper Oliver Baumann has publicly spoken out against FIFA's commercialization, pointing to a controversial practice involving temporary kit badges at the 2026 World Cup. In a recent interview with BILD, the goalkeeper criticized what German media have dubbed "Trikot Gate," shedding light on how players' match jerseys were handled for profit behind the scenes.
According to Baumann, FIFA applied special commemorative patches to player shirts before matches, labeling players with titles like "Legacy" or "Debutant." However, immediately after matches, staff entered the dressing room to peel those badges off the jerseys. Frustrated by the process, Baumann stated that players just wanted to keep their authentic kits intact rather than having them stripped.
Baumann did not play a match in the 2026 World Cup. Those badges are removed from the kits to be later part of trading cards, as part of a deal with Topps. However, it remains to be seen if badges of players who finally did not make a debut will be made into cards, or if it was just removed because of the streamlined process.
The goalkeeper appealed to governing bodies to prioritize the sport itself over endless commercial initiatives. Baumann warned that excessive commercialization, from stripped kit patches to unnecessary breaks, threatens to alienate fans and players who care about the tradition and passion of football.
Mohamed Salah Takes Number 10 Shirt at Trabzonspor
Mohamed Salah has officially completed his move to Turkish side Trabzonspor after leaving Liverpool. Following his arrival, the Egyptian superstar has been assigned the club's number 10 shirt for the 26-27 season. The Turkish club had initially prepared the number 11 jersey, the same squad number Salah wore during his iconic stint at Anfield, but the winger requested number 10 instead to match his shirt number with the Egypt national team.
To accommodate the request, Trabzonspor player Ernest Muçi, who previously held the number 10 jersey, agreed to give up the squad number out of respect for his new teammate. During his arrival flight to Turkey, Salah was seen wearing a presentation kit featuring number 61. The number 61 holds special cultural significance in Trabzon, representing the province's vehicle code and a tradition celebrated by supporters in the 61st minute of matches.
Salah has signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor, and his official number 10 kit is now available as the club prepares for the upcoming season.
Lommel SK 26-27 Home Kit Released
Belgian Challenger Pro League club Lommel SK and Puma have officially revealed the team's new home kit for the 26-27 season. The jersey presents a rich green base adorned with thin white vertical pinstripes, complemented by a white polo collar and white sleeve cuffs. City Football Group partner Etihad Airways is featured prominently across the front in white, while the full kit is completed with white shorts and green socks.
Swansea City 26-27 Away Kit Released
Swansea City and Joma have officially unveiled the club's new away kit for the 26-27 Championship season. Paying tribute to the iconic red and blue shirt worn between 1996 and 1998, the new design brings a distinctive 1990s retro aesthetic into the modern era.
The Joma Swansea City 26-27 away jersey features bold red and blue vertical stripes trimmed with thin white pinstripe accents. A standout element is the retro-style crossover V-neck collar in red with blue and white detailing, complemented by matching sleeve cuffs. New front-of-shirt sponsor AG1 is printed in white across the chest, alongside the white Joma logo and Swansea swan crest.
Welsh identity features prominently throughout the jersey, with Abertawe printed on the upper back neck and a custom inner collar label featuring the Welsh flag alongside the club slogan Ein Hanes, Ein Dyfodol, Ein Ffordd. The new Swansea 26-27 away strip goes on sale August 7.
