3 brands that did not make it

They have dressed the great champions of sport, but in many cases it was not enough. Those number tens, who soon became legends with their extraordinary plays, did not contribute to the creation of a strong heritage to the point of imposing themselves on the Italian and European scene. These brands, despite their grand proclamations, exceptional testimonials and great jerseys, vanished into thin air after just a few years, leaving only a faint memory. And yet the Italian territory, with its constellations of amateur and semi-professional clubs and football schools, has always fed the local sports equipment industry. Cyclically we have seen almost always new brands in Serie A, some taking the place of others very slowly, like Givova who soon took over all the clubs sponsored by Legea. It is impossible not to mention the leading role played by Kappa and Macron, who have replaced Lotto, Erreà and Mass over the years.  

Although these brands have gradually disappeared, leaving a huge void, we at nss sports have never completely forgotten Garman, A-Line and HS Sport. Brands that have written an important page in the history of football and the Italian provinces by dressing such outstanding champions as: Baggio, Zola and Di Natale.

GARMAN | BRESCIA 2000 - 2002

Present in the golden years of the Lombardy province, Garman accompanied Brescia and all its great champions to Serie A from 2000 until the end of the 2002 season. Officially established in 1985, two former players were also involved in its foundation: Giovanni Stroppa and Filippo Galli. Since the early years, Garman has represented the perfect combination of will, skill and technical knowledge that have enabled it to consolidate its image in the sportswear sector. It has managed to keep the aesthetics and design of the Brescia jersey intact for years, dressing Pep Guardiola, the first Andrea Pirlo but also and above all the last Roberto Baggio with the iconic blue jersey with the inverted stagger. The football shirt with the V created by Garman has entered the hearts of fans, one of the most recognised and original templates in football, perhaps less used than the vertical and horizontal stripes but equally rich in history and tradition. Like the other two brands in the article, after Brescia it slipped into oblivion, sponsoring small Serie B clubs until 2006, when the court declared it bankrupt. 

A-LINE | CAGLIARI 2004 - 2006

From Lombardy we move to the south of Italy, specifically Sardinia. It was 1999 when Andrea Picciau and former footballers Gianluca Festa and Christian Karembeu decided to set up A-Line. Despite only two years in Serie A with the island's team, A-Line, unlike Garman and HS Sport, had great, indeed very great, testimonials such as: Gianfranco Zola and Paul Gascoigne. Subsequently, the arrival of the founder Festa in the Cagliari team has allowed the brand to sponsor practically half of the island's team, becoming a real point of reference. The Cagliari brand did not remain confined only to the football dimension, but managed to enter others such as volleyball. Like Garman, however, after Cagliari, A-Line did not manage to stay in the top category and after arriving first in Serie B and then in the Premier League with the English MK Dons, it was slowly forgotten. Before finally failing in 2013, it tried to break into the Asian market with a series of agreements with university "colleges", real springboards for the young football of the Rising Sun, but with poor results. Not even the purchase in 2009 by a holding company of rich Iranian entrepreneurs was able to reverse its destiny, A-Line and Cagliari of those will remain a faded nostalgic memory. 

HS Sport | Udinese 2013 - 2019

A young company, HS Sport was founded in 2011 by a former footballer: Massimiliano Ferrigno. A name that came out of nowhere, accompanying the Friulian team for five years and interrupting the sponsorship between Udinese and Legea. After a fluctuating career in the world of football that ended with his last experience at Perugia, Ferrigno concentrated all his efforts on HS Marketing in 2011. As can be seen from the name, Ferrigno's initial idea was not to create a real brand but a company that would manage the communication and relations of clubs. As soon as it was founded, HS took over the marketing of Calcio Como, but Ferrigno also had other objectives such as Udinese. The former footballer is also responsible for finding sponsors: he brings Udinese a dowry of 6 million a year, a staggering figure for Pozzo's club. From marketing to sportswear, the step was short: in 2013 he became Udinese's technical sponsor, playing as an emerging brand on Serie A pitches. After 2018 HS has totally disappeared from the radar, in the same year the founder is indicted for attempted extortion with Udinese called to testify as an injured party. HS like the other two brands slowly slipped into oblivion, finally getting lost after the five years in the top flight.