5 Months Ago, Kroos Said, "Polo Collars Are a Big Shit" - Now the New 23-24 Madrid Third Kit Again Has a Button Collar
Aug 11, 2023, by Chris
Update: In March 2023, Toni Kroos revealed that he very much dislikes polo collar football shirts because of the comfort distractions of a bigger collar. Now the new Adidas Real Madrid 23-24 third kit has been released, and it again has a collar with a button.
For the launch picture, Toni Kroos did not button up the collar but left it open - we strongly expect him to do in matches. The collar of the 23-24 season is not quite as big as the home kit collar of the 22-23 season, so Kroos probably will have a smaller problem with it.
Adidas 23-24 Third Kits - 3 Buttoned-Colors, 2 Crew Neck Collars
When designing and finalizing the Real Madrid 2023-2024 third kit, Adidas were not aware of Kroos' anti-collar message. It seems possible that the Three Stripes would have opted for a different collar model, as done for the Bayern Munich and Manchester United 23-24 third kits.
March 2023: Kroos: "Kits With Polo Collars Are a Big Shit"
Toni Kroos, the famous German midfielder of Real Madrid, this week revealed his dislike for football shirts with collars in the latest episode of his podcast "Einfach mal Luppen". Big thanks to our friends form Real Total for the story and pictures.
Real Madrid's Toni Kroos Expresses Dislike for Collared Football Shirts
The 33-year-old German international complained about the discomfort and unattractiveness of such shirts, referring to them as "a big s*."
While Kroos did not specify any particular jersey of Real Madrid, he did express his displeasure with the current season's shirt, which features a collar. He believes that polo shirts are not suitable for football shirts and that the two buttons on the collar make it look like a shirt instead of a jersey.
Kroos' favorite jersey from his time at Real Madrid was the white-gold one from the 2019-20 season.
This is not the first time Kroos has shared his thoughts on football shirts. In November 2021, he revealed that his favorite jersey from his time at Real Madrid was the white-gold one from the 2019-20 season.
Collared shirts have been a part of Real Madrid's kit in previous seasons, including the 2018-19 and 2014-15 seasons, where Kroos played without a collar but with buttons.
Frankfurt's former player Hinteregger cut off the collar
Real Madrid's kit supplier and Toni Kroos' personal sponsor, Adidas, did not comment on Kroos's criticism.
Indeed, Frankfurt's extraordinary ex-footballer Hinteregger cut off the polo collar of the Nike Eintracht Frankfurt shirt in the 2020-2021 season. Nike then created a custom collar-free kit for the former Austrian international.
For the 2023-2024 season, Real Madrid will get NO polo collar
For the 2023-2024 season, Real Madrid will get NO polo collar.
Are you a fan of Polo collared kits? Let us know in the comments below.
Real Madrid 26-27 New Shirt Number Owners
Real Madrid have officially confirmed their squad numbers for the 2026-27 season. Thanks to @jersey_story for the design visuals.
Raúl Asencio steps into the No. 2 shirt previously worn by Dani Carvajal, while new signing Dean Huijsen takes over No. 4 from David Alaba. Endrick also returns to the No. 9 after his loan spell at Marseille.
Among the new arrivals, Ibrahima Konaté will wear No. 16, Marc Cucurella No. 17, Carlos Espí No. 19, Denzel Dumfries No. 24 and Yan Diomande No. 25. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva will continue wearing No. 20 following Fran García's departure. The number is closely associated with the Portuguese midfielder's most successful years at Manchester City.
Which new number catches your eye the most? Let us know your answer in the comments below.
Paris Saint-Germain Debut 26-27 Kits Featuring Two Stars
PSG debuted a two-star version of their 26-27 kits during recent friendly matches, commemorating their pair of UEFA Champions League titles. This special detail will be used exclusively in international competitions.
Despite Ligue 1 placing no restriction on star crests, PSG announced they will not feature the stars on their domestic league kits. Special thanks to @jerseystory_vn for the spot and graphic.
No More Nike: Adidas Croatia 2026 Training Kits Revealed
Following their switch from Nike to Adidas, Croatia's new training kit set for 2026 have been unveiled in the latest training camp for youth teams' goalkeepers.
However from what we've seen, both of the new jerseys are simply from Adidas Tiro 26 League template range, using default black and grey color choices. These are very likely just temporary options for the mean time, until the actual designs with probably bespoke colorways are officially released.
What do you think of the new Adidas Croatia 2026 training kits? Let us know in the comments below.
