Serie A is, in our opinion, the best league for football shirt lovers and collectors. Throughout the years, Serie A has seen some beautiful shirts. This multi-article series will dive into Serie A’s rich history and handpick some of the best football shirts ever made. This multi-article series also welcomes a new writer for Osservando, Owen McColgan.
Fiorentina 1998/99- Home
An instantly recognizable classic. The iconic sponsor. The goals of Batistuta. The 1998 Fila home shirt has it all. From top to bottom, the shirt oozes class, becoming a cult classic among kit collectors worldwide and being recognised as most people’s “grail” shirt. The iconic Nintendo sponsor logo prominently displayed on the chest adds a nostalgic touch and is undoubtedly one of the best shirt sponsors ever to exist. Combine this with the white stripes down the long sleeves, as well as a one button collar, yeah this kit is a classic.
A third place finish in the Serie A and 21 league goals from Batistuta were instrumental in their campaign. Cementing his status as one of the era’s most feared forwards and making the 1998/99 Fiorentina home shirt a cherished memento of a remarkable season on the pitch.The simplicity of the design from Fila, combined with the striking colours of I Viola, led to a simply beautiful kit that was adorned by one of the great Serie A strikers.
Roma 2021/22- Away
A modern classic. To call this shirt anything but that would be a disservice to the football kit community. Unfortunately, fans of the Giallorossi only got to see this shirt on a handful of occasions, as COVID-19 ravaged Italy and lockdown quickly ensued, trapping this shirt in fond memory. The shirt itself is an instant classic: a beautiful cream, off-white colour paired with the Giallorossi’s famous maroon and orange in the collar and sleeves. Additionally, the badge shifted from depicting the female wolf and Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, to a more simplistic wolf design. This change served as a nod to the story of Rome and its founding
The shirt was worn by the veteran trio of Edin Džeko, Pedro, and Mkhitaryan. While we only got to see this shirt for a few months, it will go down as one of the best Serie A shirts in recent years.The Nike design team truly hit the mark here, something not said often enough over the last few years. Simple yet beautiful, this shirt has everything a modern-day kit needs. Throwback collars? Check. Incorporation of the team’s home colours? Check. Unforgettable names? Check. A real favorite here at Osservando. Grazie, Nike.
AC Milan 1999/00- Home
Can anyone rival the Rossoneri when it comes to a home shirt? Instantly recognisable, this centenary stunner takes its rightful place as one of the best they’ve had. It was a disappointing season on the pitch for Milan, only securing a 3rd place finish. A disappointment when looking at the players on the pitch. The central sponsor, Opel, is emblazoned in white, standing out against the bold stripes, while the classic collar and sleeve trims add a touch of sophistication.
Gattuso, Maldini, Weah and Shevchenko are just four of the iconic names to have worn this shirt. The simplicity from Adidas radiated class. While AC Milan almost always provide absolute classic shirts, this centenary shirt just hits different.
Venezia 2021/22- Home
Now, pretend you’re shocked to see a Venezia kit in here. Kappa knows how to make football shirts. No cheap sponsors here. Pure art radiating in the form of a football shirt when Venezia made the switch from Nike to Kappa, and didn’t we all know about it. Venezia has some absolute classics but something about this one just hits different.
I don’t know whether it’s Nani, in the twilight of his career balling out in a relegation fight. Or the beautiful orange and green collar. The gold text maybe? Everything about this shirt is beautiful, right down the to the Kappa logo.This shirt was everywhere back in 2021, and rightfully so. Venezia have a strong case for providing us with THE modern classic. You cannot beat Venezia when it comes to marketing either—they know what they’re doing. One of the best in the game.
Sampdoria 1995/96- Away
A kit that does not get its due praise. Seedorf, Mancini, Mihajlović. Just a few of the legendary names lucky enough to have pulled on the beautiful Asics shirt. This stunning shirt is the away feature of a collection created by Asics for the 95-96 season that rivals the best sets any club will have. Each shirt incorporates the three main colours of Sampdoria with the beautiful design across the centre of the shirt. while incorporating those very same colours into the typically ’90s collar. An often-underappreciated beauty, but certainly one for the ages
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