One Season Wonders: 4 Short-Lived Kit Deals You May Not Know About
Most kit fans will have some knowledge and memory of a club's history of technical sponsors, but here are a few short term deals that you may not have known about.
One Season Wonders: Short-Lived Kit Deals
The chances are that you could name the technical sponsor of quite a few different football clubs, even ones yous don't support or follow. You probably even remember some of their older kits from different brands. The deals between clubs and their technical sponsor usually run for multiple years, giving the brands time to leave their mark and become associated with the club in the minds of the spectators. Sometimes however, short term deals crop up. Making a club's kit for one season leaves little time for exposure, and a few years down the line these partnerships can easily be forgotten. Due to their short duration, there generally aren't too many of these shirts in circulation nowadays. Here are a few of those cases that you may not have known about, or maybe you've forgotten about them entirely.
Marseille - Reebok 94-95 and Mizuno 95-96
Marseille had a long history with Adidas, but their partnership was interrupted for two seasons in the mid 90s upon OM's forced relegation to Ligue 2 after a bribery scandal. Reebok took the reigns for the first season, before Mizuno came in for the 95-96 campaign, creating both a v neck and collared version of the home shirt. Adidas returned in the summer of 1996 when promotion back to Ligue 1 was secured.
Fiorentina - Diadora 00-01, Mizuno 01-02, Puma 02-03
Fiorentina wore Diadora jerseys in 00-01, followed by a year with Mizuno. They were playing in Serie A at that stage, and photos of the likes of Rui Costa and Adriano sporting those shirts have done the rounds plenty on social media. The club was mired in financial difficulty in the 2000s and as a result ceased to exist in 2002, before restarting life in Serie C2, Italy's fourth tier.
For that campaign, they wore Puma shirts which bore just a red fleur de lis symbol in lace of their usual crest. Well out of the spotlight that year and with all their big players (except for Angelo Di Livio) having jumped ship, their Puma kits didn't really get the chance to catch the eye.
Fulham - Airness 06-07
Fulham were well established in the Premier League by the mid 2000s, but after a few years with Puma they partnered with young French brand Airness, for whom it was the first venture into the English game. Airness had been making kits for teams like Auxerre, Lille, Nantes and Rennes, and in 2006 Fulham received their own set of jerseys with the same recognisable template.
The 06-07 period was their peak as they sponsored 7 clubs, before things gradually went downhill from there on out, although they still made Mali's kits at AFCON 2022.
Napoli - Legea 03-04
20 odd years ago, Napoli's state of affairs was very different to today. Another club heavily burdened by financial woes, the 03-04 season was their third consecutive campaign in Serie B. They didn't boast the talent and star names of today's squad, but they did have Christian Vieri's brother, Max, in their ranks. They suffered relegation to Serie C1 that season, while wearing kits from local brand Legea, whose sole season with i Partenopei was one to forget. They were actually rumoured to take over again from Kappa before EA7 got the gig a couple of years ago, although they did provide Napoli's youth teams with kits last season.
How many of these partnerships did you already know about? Can you think of any more short term partnerships that are often forgotten? Let us know in the comments.
Bayern München 26-27 Oktoberfest Kit Spotted for Sale
The upcoming Adidas Bayern München 26-27 Oktoberfest jersey has been spotted hanging on retail racks ahead of its official launch in September.
Moving away from the club's traditional Bavarian-inspired palettes and subtle motifs of previous years, the new Wiesn shirt introduces a radical look featuring a vibrant, multicolored abstract graphic set against a black base. The energetic design is complemented by off-white Three Stripes on the shoulders, the classic Adidas Trefoil logo, an ornate heritage Bayern Munich crest, and cream sponsor detailing.
Bukayo Saka and Yan Diomande Debut Whiteout New Balance Furon V9 Boots
Arsenal talisman Bukayo Saka and Real Madrid signing Yan Diomande have both taken to the pitch wearing all-white New Balance Furon V9 boots at the start of the 26-27 campaign. Thanks to @volkyfootballboots.v2 for spotting.
As two of the primary headline athletes for New Balance's flagship speed silo, their synchronized switch away from standard on-pitch colorways to a whiteout look points toward an upcoming limited-edition pack or special release from the American brand in the near future.
It’s normal that brands hide their new flagship-shoes with a whiteout colorway until their release takes place officially, so competitors can’t already get an early glimpse into their newest design.
FC Vizela 26-27 Away Kit Released
Liga Portugal 2 side FC Vizela has officially launched its new away kit for the 26-27 campaign, manufactured by Kappa. The jersey introduces a black base complemented by vibrant light blue accents across the V-neck collar, sleeve cuffs, and club crest. A standout element of the design is Kappa's signature Omini logo tape running down the side panels, paired with monochrome light blue sponsor detailing for a cohesive look.
No More Macron: New Balance Totton 26-27 Away & Cup Kits Released
National League South side AFC Totton have officially unveiled their new away and cup kits ahead of the new season, made by new suppiler New Balance, who replaced Macron.
The new away kit introduces an interesting look with pale orange base and halftone geometric pattern, combined with black details. The cup kit, on the other hand, stay close to the traditional colors but reverses them, creating a classy look that matches well with the club aesthetic. The cup kit also features Snow as their shirt sponsor, instead of Garmin like the away jersey.
What do you think of the New Balance Totton 26-27 away and cup kits? Let us know in the comments.
Ayutthaya United 26-27 Away Kit Released
Thai club Ayutthaya United have officially unveiled their new 2026-27 away kit. Made by Umbro, the new shirt is launched under the theme “The Way Of Life”, celebrating the historic riverside culture and heritage of Ayutthaya.
The Umbro Ayutthaya United 2026-27 away shirt features a predominantly pale pink base, decorated with detailed illustrations of traditional boats, waterways and historic architecture. A white polo-style collar, vibrant pink Umbro logos and diamond detailing on the sleeve cuffs complete the design, while white side panels with pink piping frame the navy Chang sponsor and club crest.
What do you think of the new Ayutthaya United 2026-27 away kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Aalborg Boldklub 26-27 Third Kit Released
Danish club AaB and technical sponsor Macron have officially revealed the new 2026-27 third kit, developed in collaboration with design studio Societas. The shirt completes the club's "Klubhus Kollektionen" (Clubhouse Collection) for the 26-27 season, following the release of the home and away kits earlier this summer.
The AaB 2026-27 third jersey takes direct inspiration from the yellow brick architecture of the club's historic clubhouse on Hornevej, which originally opened in 1970. The shirt features a warm tan base complemented by an all-over tonal brick-wall pattern across the body and sleeves. A classic white polo collar and matching white sleeve cuffs add a retro touch, enhanced by subtle red accents under the collar placket.
All logos on the front are rendered in monochrome white, including the vintage AaB crest, the Macron Hero, the Societas insignia below the collar, and the main Nykredit sponsor. Finishing off the bespoke look, the club's traditional red "AAB af 1885" pennant flag is embroidered on the upper back below the neckline.