The Dugout
Articles & Features
Kit releases, retro deep-dives, and opinions from the shirt collecting world.
Story behind the shirt: France 1998 World Cup home kit
France hosted the 1998 World Cup, won it in front of their own crowd, and did it wearing one of the most iconic adidas shirts of the decade. With the 2026 tournament underway on home soil in North America, it is worth revisiting what that moment looked like.
The best Manchester United kits of all time
From the treble home shirt to the grey away that Ferguson pulled at half time, ten Manchester United kits that define what the club looks like in fabric.
The story behind the shirt: Italy at the 1982 World Cup
Spain, 1982. A disgraced striker returning from a two-year ban, a team that drew every group game, and one of the greatest individual performances in World Cup history. Italy won it wearing the simplest shirt in the tournament.
Story behind the shirt: Real Madrid at the 2002 Champions League final
Hampden Park, 15 May 2002. A Roberto Carlos cross, a left-footed volley from Zinedine Zidane, and Real Madrid's ninth European Cup. The centenary shirt was there for all of it.
The story behind the shirt: Greece at Euro 2004
Portugal, June 2004. Greece arrived as 150-1 outsiders, won every knockout match 1-0, and left as European champions. The white adidas shirt they wore is now one of the most unlikely in tournament history.
The best Eredivisie shirts of the 2000s
From Canterbury at AZ to Kappa at Feyenoord, the Eredivisie produced some of the most interesting kits in European football during the 2000s. Ten of the best.
The story behind the shirt: Arsenal's Bruised Banana
adidas gave Arsenal a yellow away shirt in 1991 that nobody expected and everybody remembers. Two cups, one season, one nickname that stuck forever.
The story behind the shirt: Liverpool at the 2005 Champions League final
Istanbul, 25 May 2005. Liverpool were 3-0 down at half time against the best club side in Europe. What happened next in that red Reebok shirt has no equivalent in the history of the competition.
The story behind the shirt: Leicester City's 2015-16 Premier League season
In August 2015, bookmakers had Leicester City at 5000/1 to win the Premier League. Nine months later, in a Puma royal blue shirt, they did exactly that.
Top 10 historic Liverpool kits
Six European Cups, thirty years without a league title, then Istanbul. These are the ten Liverpool shirts that define the club's greatest and most painful moments.
The story behind the shirt: Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup
Brazil, June 2014. A rebuilt Netherlands side under Louis van Gaal tore through the World Cup in orange, with Arjen Robben at the peak of his powers. The shirt that carried all of it.
The story behind the shirt: Barcelona at the 2009 Champions League final
On 27 May 2009, Barcelona wore a version of their home shirt that would never be seen again. A gold swoosh, a Roman night, and Messi's header. This is the story behind that shirt.
Top 10 historic Schalke kits
From the UEFA Cup triumph in 1997 to the Raul era in the Champions League, these are the ten Schalke shirts that define the club's most important chapters.
The 10 greatest Ligue 1 shirts of the 2010s
From PSG's transformation under QSI to Monaco's title-winning season and Mbappe's emergence, these are the ten Ligue 1 shirts that defined the decade.
The 10 greatest FC Barcelona shirts of all time
From Cruyff's Dream Team to Guardiola's treble side, from Meyba to Nike, these are the ten FC Barcelona shirts that define the club's most important seasons.
The 10 best Bundesliga kits of the 2000s
The decade that gave us Kahn's penalty saves in Milan, Leverkusen's triple heartbreak, and Wolfsburg's shock title also produced some of the finest shirts German football has ever seen.
The 10 greatest Real Madrid shirts of all time
Fifteen European Cups. One shade of white. From Hummel's chevrons to Adidas's Décima kit, these are the ten Real Madrid shirts that collectors keep coming back to.
The 10 greatest away kits of the 1990s
Neon, paisley, abstract art, and pure chaos. The 1990s gave us the most gloriously unhinged away shirts in football history. Here are the ten best.