Twenty four years on from a European Championships that personifies a generation, we take a look back through the archives and explore the kit legacy that is still giving, all these years on.
Over two decades have passed since the much famed 'Euro 96' and while the years have ticked on, the tournament still remains as one that landed at a point of pivot and change for the game. Memories encapsulated in kit form, we've picked out some of the best of the bunch that landed in England that summer. Oversized sleeves are met with tailored bespoke detail and from re-emerging adidas EQT shapes through to a Swoosh-less Italy ensemble, this set is one to spark emotion and memory whilst you lose your way and wallet on eBay, reminiscing about this golden age.
Germany Home. With the Germany flag a consistent feature throughout, adidas produced a shirt that had all the layers of detailing and the number placement added extra balance to the design that was well worthy of any tournament winner.
Let's show a little love for the full look that naturally extended off the pitch where the Germany kit was concerned. Round neck tees with the Adidas script logo front and centre, along with the EQT stripes, it's patterned work that we've seen the brand bring back in recent years across both lifestyle and performance pieces.
France Home and Away. Magnifique. On so many levels, these French kits were both perfectly on point whilst truly ahead of their time. Kits that have inspired the creative world around football, the laced collar works in tandem with the solid vertical stripes and this shirt, whilst might not be associated to tournament winning moments, puts all that to the side and will stand out in the archives forever as a nostalgia trip of solid gold. Perhaps a sign of the adventurous time, it's a bold statement of a shirt, no question.
For the away, it's a shirt that could be taken and dropped right here, right now and send sensational shockwaves across the scene. The inverted sibling of the home shirt brought with it a beautiful elasticated v-neck collar and those timeless EQT stripes. Zizou... The Boss.
France Goalkeeper Home. Stop right now, thank you very much. Tracksuit bottoms under shorts with a layer of your own socks thrown over the top for good measure. These were different times. Lawless times. A beautiful melee that was unquestioned though inspired. We need more of this kind of behaviour.
Italy Home. While the Italy kits were a Nike masterpiece, perhaps the lack of the swoosh logo on the front of the shirt was the real masterstroke. No room for distraction, this kit is one that melts the heart from top to toe. Use of gold detailing against the classic blue and white make this another stand out piece that would party hard now as it did decades back. From fashion week to archive football memorabilia this number personifies why so many people were swept away with the Italian game in the 90s. Elegant, sophisticated and punk. Just three things that put this in a league of its own.
Romania Away. Oh Romania. With your bright popping colours and sensual stripes. Here lies a left-field piece of glory. Showing that you can fall for any team based purely on their kit, this would have us learning Romanian lingo in a heartbeat. Yes, it may be a variation on the French away kit as shown above but come on, the whole fit and a wild badge – this one again was one step ahead of the footballing populous.
Denmark Goalkeeper Home. Peter Schmeichel. Natural born thriller. Hummel have very rarely wavered from their ethos. Very much a brand that has never been afraid to drop a paint bucket plethora of colours onto a palette, you'd think that these mixtures wouldn't work but they do. They definitely do. Screaming from the goal line. Go on Denmark.
Holland Home. It was all about the accessories. These days, sponsorship tie-in's and various rules mean celebrating by lobbing your shirt into the crowd comes with some kind of sanction. Back in '96 though, we're talking headbands, bangles and enormous cuffs. Bringing Lotto to the occasion in a big way, the Dutch shirt was minimal though they made the most of it. Subtle detailing on the cuffs complimented the overall design of the shirt and shows that less can still be more.
Turkey Home (and Goalkeeper). Again adding to France and Romania, the Turkey kits were ones that if you found them today, you could sport at your leisure. More poignant however, the goalkeeper kit was so wild that they didn't worry about putting bespoke badging on it. So loud, so confident, so where can we get it?
Bulgaria Home. THIS IS 90'S FOOTBALL. Perhaps showing a more simpler tone, you could ask, wait, where's the visual mayhem? Where's the patterns that made 90's football shirts so ridiculously off the wall? Well friends, this shows another side of the 90s. A time where we'd see any old shape line a sleeve and badges on the sleeves go wherever worked best. Oh yeah, and the nose tape.
Croatia Away. Another suitably subtle instalment from the good people of Lotto, this clean palette is one where oversized names and numbers perhaps partied the hardest. No time wasted on sublimated prints, psychedelic shapes or anything all that memorable in fact – it's just that everything on this shirt works as one in delivering a late 90s piece of football attire. Heavy materials and finishes to flatten the opposition, clearly.
England Home, Away and Goalkeeper Kits. Finishing up with the home nation for Euro '96. Rarely has that light sky blue appeared on an England shirt. In '96 though, they went for it and it offered a light pop of hope, optimism and redemption... Angles on the shorts that match with the collar, this shirt will forever be one that without winning the tournament brought football "home". Indeed it was a galvanising tournament for England and while the word 'Grey' doesn't scream flamboyance and perhaps set the most compelling tone as hosts, the away kit is in every single sense a complimenting classic to the home, too.
What's more, with steady time for David Seaman's 'tache, both home and away goalkeeper kits have to get a mention. Graphically heavy and heading into turtle necked territory, there's nothing but appreciation for these get ups.
Enjoy all 31 games from Euro '96 on the ITV hub from tonight, while all five of England’s games, plus the final, will also be broadcast on ITV4.
