The revenge of the pink jerseys

In football, pink jerseys do not enjoy great consideration. Firstly, because pink is a color that historically has rarely been associated with football in general; secondly, because very few teams use it as their social color, and even fewer have opted over the years for pink Away and Third jerseys. Today, they are experiencing a real resurgence, gaining general appreciation among football enthusiasts. To convince so much, they have made use of important stages, from the dazzling and still to be studied atmosphere of the MLS to the Euro 2024 qualifying matches.

The European Championship has only been underway for a week and the pink Away jersey of the German National Team is already sold out in every store and e-commerce platform, including, of course, those of adidas. According to The Athletic, this is even a record: never before has any Away jersey sold out so quickly. Yet, the jersey, unveiled in March, was heavily criticized, to which the German Football Federation responded immediately. «In contrast to the more traditional elements of the home jersey, the new away kit is designed to represent the new generation of German football fans, expressing the diversity that represents the country»: a statement ready to reaffirm that alongside a Home jersey that looks to the past (inspired by the pattern debuted at the 1998 World Cup), there is room for something new.

Germany's record sell-out

At the same time, the success of the pink Away jersey of the German National Team remains decidedly unexpected. Especially considering that DFB and German fans have experienced a series of disappointments in recent years following their victory in the 2014 World Cup. The national team reached its lowest point with two consecutive group stage eliminations in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Thus, it would be impossible to deny that it was a combination of events that facilitated the success of the German National Team's Away jersey: optimism for Germany's performances was sky-high on the eve of the competition, even before their first 5-1 group stage victory over Scotland. The outstanding performance of Musiala, Wirtz, Havertz & Co. has certainly boosted confidence among Germany's fans, who see a glimmer of hope in a new generation of talents, which could certainly lead to a significant increase in the sale of Away jerseys - despite it not having yet been worn in an official match, only in friendly matches.

The Impact of Inter Miami

The German National Team is not the only contributor to the revival of pink jerseys - one must also cross the ocean. A report from Fanatics confirmed that the home jersey of Inter Miami - one of the few clubs to play in a home jersey of that shade - is the best-selling of 2024 among MLS teams, mainly thanks to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Wherever Inter Miami plays, both at home and away, you will encounter hundreds of number 10 jerseys with Messi's name. Although Messi only joined Inter Miami midway through last season, he ensured that jerseys with his name became a prized possession for club supporters, as well as a souvenir for fans visiting the city - not necessarily attending matches at Chase Stadium. Thus, combining the record sales of the German National Team's Away jersey with the frenzy surrounding those of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, the color pink has helped boost adidas' coffers.

Palermo, Juventus and different shades of pink

Although pink is often only mentioned in passing, it has always been present in the world of football. We are of course thinking of Palermo, one of the few European teams to have this colour in their flag. Another Italian team that has long been associated with the colour pink is Juventus. We only have to go back to the 2011/2012 season, the first year under Antonio Conte, when Juventus wore a pink away kit that came under criticism firstly for a disproportionate all-over star and secondly for the Balocco branding in red, which did not harmonise with the shirt colour at all. However, Juventus, one of the few top European clubs to have more or less consistently produced pink kits since the 1990s, continued to insist on this colour and produced the away jersey in pink again in the 2015/2016 season (fresh after the switch to adidas), albeit in a much less garish shade. Arsenal's third jersey for the 2022/23 season is also in an unprecedented pink colour and was a clear sales success, as was Nigo's jersey in collaboration with the Japanese association: a truly elegant jersey dedicated to the typical rice cake Sakuramochi.

How pink jerseys made it into pop culture

Pink is certainly not a common colour on football shirts, it's true, but the trend has reversed since fashion influenced it and vice versa. Brands such as Acne Studios and Pompeii have chosen this shade for football-inspired items, helping to reverse a trend that until a few years ago seemed to have no chance of seeing a second youth. Some things happen without a clear reason. That's why we'll never be able to explain why the pink Juventus jersey that was launched in the 2015/2016 season was worn by so many celebrities: Jonah Hill, Drake and Lil Peep. Pharrell Williams will also reinterpret this jersey for the 2020/2021 collection in collaboration between adidas and Humanmade: a version that has now become a very rare collector's item. Now that football jerseys have also found their way into the wardrobes of people who have probably never seen a football match, pink is said to be a colour that softens the seriousness of some kits and makes them affordable for everyone.