Ajax Player' Goalkeeper Kit Was Manually Created by the Club
A curious detail has emerged regarding AFC Ajax's kit specifications for the 26-27 season. While Ajax outfield players take the pitch wearing standard replica-spec shirts with embroidered crests and fan-grade fabric, goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has been spotted wearing a genuine player-issue authentic Adidas shirt.
The difference comes down to how Adidas structures its team tiers and produces goalkeeper templates. Since Ajax is not currently classified as an Adidas Elite partner, the three stripes brand does not manufacture dedicated authentic player-spec versions for their outfield kits. However, Adidas makes authentic base goalkeeper shirts available to its clubs, complete with lightweight Climacool+ performance fabric, printed Adidas branding, and the official authentic hem jocktag.
To prepare the shirt for matchday, Ajax manually customized the blank authentic goalkeeper template in-house by heat-applying the club's three-starred crest and sponsor graphics. This process allows ter Stegen to wear a true high-performance shirt on the pitch, even as the rest of the squad continues to play in standard replica shirts.
