Are Football Teams Releasing Too Many Kits and Other Stuff?
Apr 20, 2025, by Phan Tich Giay
- Merchandise Explosion: Football clubs now release an overwhelming array of merchandise beyond traditional kits, including numerous training and lifestyle collections within a single season.
- Financial Motivation: The release of numerous kits and collections is driven by significant financial incentives for clubs, generating potential millions in revenue.
- Fan Challenges: This merchandise explosion creates challenges for fans, including financial strain, difficulty choosing items, and concerns about the commercialization of their support.
The days of football clubs releasing a simple home, away, and occasional third kit each season are long gone. As evidenced by recent releases from clubs around the world, the football merchandise machine has exploded into an overwhelming array of products that raises an important question: Has it all become too much?
The Ever-Expanding Football Merchandise Universe
(picture via Marto_CABJ)
The last few seasons have seen an explosion in kit merchandise. In addition to the three basic home, away and third kits, clubs have also released numerous training and lifestyle collections throughout the season. The images of various club collections circulating online reveal just how extensive these single-season offerings have become.
The Single-Season Merchandise Explosion
Looking at the Arsenal and Real Madrid 24-25 season kit collections, we can see that the overview is as follows:
- Three basic kits: Home, away & third
- Special kit (uncommon): 'No More Red' kit (Arsenal)
- 5 training collection: Home, away, third (European) and second half season collections.
- Lots of lifestyle collections
- Special lifestyle collection: Chinese New Year collection (Real Madrid)
Each new kit or clothing item represents potential millions in revenue, particularly for global powerhouses with international fanbases.
The release of so many kits in one season creates a situation of 'milking' the fans. Fans who are in a buying mood are willing to spend money every time a new kit or collection is released.
Unlike Real Madrid, Arsenal or Manchester United (Adidas teams), Nike teams such as Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, ... are still launching kits and collections in sufficient quantities, not 'overloaded'.
The Fan Perspective
For the dedicated supporter, this merchandise explosion creates both opportunities and challenges:
- Financial strain: Keeping up with all official releases can cost thousands annually
- Choice paralysis: Which of the many items truly represents your support?
- Collector's anxiety: The fear of missing limited editions
- Authenticity questions: When does collecting cross into consumerism?
Many longstanding supporters recall when a home shirt would remain unchanged for multiple seasons, creating iconic visual associations with specific eras of club history. Now, clubs release more items in a single season than they once did in an entire decade.
What's Next?
As clubs push the boundaries of what constitutes a "necessary" kit release, the question becomes: Where does it end? Will we see monthly releases? Opponent-specific kits? Weather-dependent collections?
The current trajectory suggests football merchandise will continue expanding rather than contracting. For clubs, the financial incentives are simply too great to ignore, especially as traditional revenue streams face various pressures.
For fans, the challenge will be determining where to draw their personal lines – which items truly matter to them as expressions of club support versus which ones they can comfortably skip in an increasingly crowded merchandise landscape.
What do you think? Has football kit culture gone too far, or is this simply the natural evolution of the modern game? Let us know in the comments below.
Austria Wien 26-27 Third Kit Released - Inspired by Gustav Klimt
Macron and Austrian Bundesliga club FK Austria Wien have officially launched their new third kit for the 2026-27 season. Dubbed the "Kunsttrikot" (art jersey), the special release draws direct inspiration from Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt and his world-renowned masterpiece, "Der Kuss" (The Kiss), completing the club's set for the campaign.
The Austria Wien 26-27 third shirt comes in a rich cardinal red base decorated with gold details throughout. Across the body and sleeves, an intricate embossed texture incorporates the contrasting rectangular and circular patterns famously featured in Klimt's work. The design is rounded off with a traditional buttoned polo collar edged in gold trim, matching sleeve cuffs, and monochrome gold silicone applications for the club crest and Macron Hero logo. Special touches include "Spielkultur" on the outer neck and an inner neck tape honoring legendary captains Sara, Prohaska, Hussack, Nausch, and Fiala.
Matching cardinal red shorts and socks complete the kit, which is crafted from 100% recycled Eco Softlock polyester. Austria Wien are initially making the 26-27 third shirt available in a run of 1,000 limited-edition collector gallery boxes before a general release.
London City Lionesses Announce Landmark Nike Front-of-Shirt Sponsorship Deal
London City Lionesses have officially announced a multi-year front-of-shirt partnership with Nike. Owned by Michele Kang via Kynisca Sports International, the Barclays Women's Super League side revealed a unique graphic for the primary sponsor position, featuring the ancient Goddess of Victory statue from which the sportswear giant takes its name.
The new front-of-shirt look makes its on-pitch debut when London City take on Manchester United on September 4, 2026. Beyond the prominent kit branding, the agreement incorporates grassroots community activations as well as dedicated support for female-focused sports science research and athlete development.
Alongside the front-of-shirt sponsorship, the club and Nike have agreed to a four-year extension of their technical kit supply partnership, locking in the Swoosh from the 27-28 season onwards. This expands on their existing apparel arrangement first established ahead of the 25-26 campaign.
Levante 26-27 Fourth Kit Released
Spanish club Levante UD and Italian technical sponsor Macron have officially unveiled their new fourth kit for the 2026-27 season. Marking the tenth year of collaboration between the club and the brand, the new uniform completes Levante's kit lineup for the current campaign.
The Macron Levante 26-27 fourth jersey features a navy blue base with an all-over sublimated and embossed geometric pattern inspired by the traditional azulejos ceramic tiles of Valencia's seaside El Cabanyal neighborhood. Off-white and cardinal red trim accents the V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs, while silicone patches of the club crest and the Macron Hero emblem sit on the chest. The design also pays tribute to club founder José Ballester Gozalvo and his wife Teresa Molins Gausach.
Navy blue shorts with matching off-white and cardinal red details alongside hooped socks complete the full look. Levante UD will debut the new 26-27 fourth kit on September 6, 2026, against Málaga CF at the Ciutat de València to coincide with the club's 117th anniversary.
No More Macron: Elite Eleven Melbourne Victory 26-27 Training Collection Released
A-League side Melbourne Victory has officially announced a new multi-year partnership with Australian activewear brand Elite Eleven. The Melbourne-based brand will serve as the club's official Technical Kit and Apparel Partner for the next four seasons, starting from the 26-27 campaign, marking the end of Victory's partnership with Italian supplier Macron.
Shortly after the announcement, the club launched its official 26-27 training and lifestyle collection under the campaign banner "Melbourne Born. Melbourne Worn."
The training range is available to purchase immediately, while Melbourne Victory's new 26-27 home and away match kits are scheduled to be officially unveiled in early October.