The best animalier jerseys

Over the years, football clubs have made more and more efforts to make their jerseys original and innovative, from the materials to the colours, sometimes going against the clubs' history. Recent seasons have seen the most unusual patterns and designs, including Animalier, which uses the team's animal symbol as inspiration for the design or colours of the jerseys. It's a trend that also helps teams define their aesthetic identity, strengthening recognition also through patterns that can become new club logos. It is no coincidence that many, from Italy to abroad, have decided to dress in this bold and imaginative style on various occasions.

Juventus from zebra stripes to leopard print

In recent years, Juventus have started the season with an animal print jersey on several occasions. In the 2016-2017 season, adidas designed a third jersey for the Turin club that was a direct reference to the club's history, all in white with black zebra stripes on the shoulders. The German company wanted to pay homage to Juventus Turin's 1980screst, which featured a 'rampant zebra', an animal characterised by its black and white stripes.

For the 2020-2021season, adidas once again designed a third jersey for the Old Lady in a bold orange, the first time it has been used in the club's history. Black 'spots' stand out on the bright background, giving the jersey a leopard motif. Also in this shirt, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first and only Serie A scoring championship. Recent rumours suggest that Juventus will wear a jersey next season that takes this concept even further, with the stripes taking on a furry effect to imitate the animal.

The wild nature of Napoli

When it comes to originality in jerseys, Napoli has never been short of boldness and creativity. And in the 2018-2019 season, the Azzurri took to the pitch in an 'animalistic' jersey. Technical sponsor Kappa created the classic Kombat this season, but a roaring panther head appeared from the geometric pattern on the front. The goalkeepers' jerseys were also inspired by the animalistic theme, as the jerseys were modelled on snakeskin, including the forked tongue on the back.

Inter and the snakeskin

Inter, who were set to defend the Scudetto they had won the previous year with Conte on the bench, presented themselves with Socios.com as their new main sponsor and a completely new jersey for the 2021-2022 season. To mark the occasion, Nike designed a home jersey for the Nerazzurri that features an innovative animalistic motif. Instead of the Nerazzurri's iconic vertical stripes, a snakeskin pattern was introduced, reminiscent of the Biscione, the historic symbol of Inter and the city of Milan. This was another way to achieve a unique and distinctive aesthetic that would be associated with the other assets of a club such as the crest and the jersey.

The Hull City and Benevento Tiger Jerseys

Hull City players and fans are nicknamed 'The Tigers' because of the orange colours of the jersey and the tiger on the crest. But in 1993, they went one step further and the English club wore a jersey with the fur and stripes of tigers. A jersey so distinctive that it set incredible sales records. In the 2020-2021 season, the tiger motif returned, but much more sober and elegant, with a scratch on the upper front of the jersey.

However, in Italy this Serie B season, it was Benevento that featured in a tiger jersey. Nike, in fact, created for the club a design reminiscent of the jungle cat's colours.

The white tiger from South Korea

In Korean mythology, the white tiger is a sacred animal, although it has been extinct on the Asian peninsula for decades. So much so that it also appears in the national team's logo, with Napoli centre-back Kim Min-Jae looming large in defence. And in 2020, Nike has designed an away jersey for South Korea dedicated precisely to the country's iconic animal. The jersey is all-white and features a black tiger motif complemented by the Swoosh, inserts and numbers in gold.