Every season across the UEFA Champions League , Europa League, and Conference League, eagle-eyed supp... More
Every season across the UEFA Champions League , Europa League, and Conference League, eagle-eyed supporters notice clubs taking to the pitch in sponsorless shirts or sporting unexpected charity logos. While UEFA's own kit equipment regulations do not place an outright ban on gambling or betting partnerships, Article 44 explicitly requires participating clubs to comply with the local legislation of the match-hosting nation. When a team travels to a country with strict bans on sports betting and gambling promotion, their regular commercial sponsors cannot appear.
This dynamic has created some iconic European kit moments over the decades. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, both AC Milan and Real Madrid frequently had to strip the bwin logo from their jerseys when playing away in countries like France and Switzerland due to local gambling restrictions. In recent years, Spain's Royal Decree 958/2020 banned betting advertising in sport, forcing teams like Inter Milan to drop Betsson.sport and VfB Stuttgart to wipe Winamax from their chests during visits to Spanish grounds.
Rather than leaving the chest completely blank, several clubs choose to use these matches for charitable causes or secondary sponsors. FC Copenhagen notably replaced Unibet with the Danish Red Cross, while Celtic routinely substitute long-term sponsor Dafabet with the Celtic FC Foundation whenever they travel to nations like Italy or Spain. Aston Villa similarly replaced Betano with financial app Acorns for trips to Switzerland. As advertising regulations across Europe continue to tighten, these temporary kit makeovers remain a regular and fascinating feature of continental football.
, by Phan Tich Giay
