"I Wore a Spurs Kit at Inter": Legendary Keeper Gianluca Pagliuca Talks Football Shirts
Former Sampdoria, Inter and Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca recently spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport about the jerseys he wore during his career and he made some interesting revelations.
Hidden Logos, Custom Colours and Tottenham Kits: Gianluca Pagliuca's Unusual Jerseys
Gianluca Pagliuca enjoyed a 20 year career in Italian football, playing for Sampdoria, Inter, Bologna and Ascoli in that time, as well as making 39 appearances for Italy. Recognised as one of Serie A's finest goalkeepers of the 90s, the timing of his career meant that he wore some pretty outlandish shirts, as did most shot stoppers of that era. For Pagliuca though, it was important to play in jerseys that he found aesthetically pleasing. Known for having something of a short temper on the pitch, he wasn't afraid to let kit manufacturers know what he really thought either.
"I never once took to the pitch in a jersey I was unhappy with." Gianluca Pagliuca.
When Sampdoria switched from Kappa to Asics, he wasn't keen on the new shirts he was given. He informed the brand's marketing rep, who replied that for him, all that mattered was that Asics' logo appeared on the kit. Pagliuca was free to wear shirts from other brands, once their logo was covered up by an Asics one, so he often chose jerseys made by Reusch. Most of the time their name was obscured on the chest, but still sometimes peeked out behind the stitched-on Asics patch, as seen above. On other occasions both brand names were clearly visible.
In 1994, Pagliuca moved from Sampdoria to Inter, and Umbro became his new kit supplier. He liked their shirts, and even contacted the brand personally to make sure he could get his hands on one in particular:
"Tottenham's goalkeeper had a jersey that I loved because the colours reminded me of Aston Villa, and I'm a big fan of Villa. I called Umbro and told them I wanted this shirt. They sent me over 3 or 4 of them, with the Tottenham crest still on them, so we stitched the Inter crest on top of it. Nowadays you could never do something like that." Gianluca Pagliuca.
As well from wearing another team's shirt, Pagliuca also put in colourway requests for the shirts Umbro made for him. In the 95-96 season, they gave him a wavy-striped "bumblebee" jersey in yellow and black. Pagliuca approved of this version, but he also wanted one in Inter's home colours of black and blue. Umbro obliged, although he didn't get to wear it too often for obvious reasons.
Pagliuca also recounted how he swapped shirts with Diego Maradona after a Serie A game once. Unfortunately, he somehow lost it over the years, but says he has held on to all but one or two of the jerseys he wore throughout his career.
What do you think of Pagliuca's stories about the shirts he wore during his career? Would you like to hear more players' kit stories? Let us know in the comments.
SPAL 26-27 Home Kit Released
Italian brand Erreà and historic Italian club SPAL have officially unveiled the new home kit for the 26-27 season. The latest jersey draws heavy inspiration from the rich architectural heritage of Ferrara, combining tradition with bespoke local storytelling.
The SPAL 26-27 home shirt features the club's traditional white and sky blue vertical stripes, updated with a dominant white presence and subtle graphic details. Embedded within the stripes are patterns representing the hanging arches and column details seen on Ferrara's historic Estense palaces and the iconic Ferrara Cathedral. Fine gold pinstripes run along the blue stripes, adding a refined touch.
A classic polo collar with a blue insert complements the jersey's vintage aesthetic.
Servette FC 26-27 Trefoil Away Kit Released
Servette FC and Adidas have officially unveiled the club's new 26-27 away kit, created under the Adidas Originals banner.
The Adidas Servette 26-27 away shirt is predominantly navy blue, accented by refined gold applications throughout. Gold is used for the iconic Trefoil logo, the retro circular SFC crest, the MSC main sponsor, and the classic Three Stripes on the shoulders. A delicate garnet trim on the collar and sleeve cuffs pays homage to the club's traditional home colors.
Southend United 26-27 Third Kit Released
Southend United and Italian manufacturer Erreà have officially launched the club's new third kit for the 26-27 campaign. Introduced under the campaign tagline "Culture Never Washes Away," the striking new jersey delivers a bold and energetic visual direction created in collaboration with Erreà's Creative Lab.
The Erreà Southend United 26-27 third shirt combines a vivid pink base with sharp, angular purple graphics running across the front. It is framed by a classic purple fold-over collar, purple cuffs, and thin yellow piping along the raglan shoulder seams. For a modern and minimalist touch, the traditional club crest is replaced by a simplified yellow shrimp emblem on the left chest, accompanied by yellow Erreà branding and white c2c sponsor lettering.
Purple shorts accented with pink trim and matching purple socks complete the full Southend 26-27 third strip, which is set to make its on-pitch debut in the match against Solihull Moors.
Racing Ferrol 26-27 Third Kit Released
Spanish club Racing Club Ferrol and Adidas have officially unveiled their new third kit for the 26-27 season.
The Adidas Racing Ferrol 26-27 third shirt features a bold blue and white checkered pattern across the front and back, directly inspired by the official flag of the city of Ferrol. Solid royal blue covers the sleeves and collar, while eye-catching fluorescent green accents appear on the Adidas Three Stripes along the shoulders and the chest logo.
Official Images: Atlético Madrid 26-27 Third Kit Leaked
We can leak official images of the Atlético Madrid 26-27 third kit. The Nike Atlético Madrid 26-27 third shirt is predominantly light grey (officially "Light Pumice") and features horizontal red and navy hoop stripes running across the torso, back, and sleeves.
Erzgebirge Aue 26-27 DFB-Pokal Kit Released
FC Erzgebirge Aue have unveiled a dedicated Nike DFB-Pokal kit for the 26-27 season. Set apart from the club's standard league jerseys, the special cup shirt combines Aue's signature purple base with contrasting black raglan sleeves and purple cuffs. White accents finish the design across the Nike Swoosh, the central Nickelhütte sponsor logo, and the traditional "Kumpelverein" graphic on the back of the neck, while the official DFB-Pokal badge sits on the sleeve ahead of its competitive debut against TSG Hoffenheim.
