Arsenal vs Real Madrid 2005-06 Champions League - An In Depth Look At The Awesome Boots & Kits On Stage 15 Years Ago
Almost 15 years ago, Arsenal faced Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the 2005-2006 UEFA Champions League season 2005-2006. Online retailer Classic Football Shirts brought that match back to our mind by posting an image of the match, showing off the awesome boots and kits on stage. We take a closer look at the boots and kits of the match as well as the ball.
Arsenal vs Real Madrid 2005-2006 UEFA Champions League Season Round of 16 - The Boots, Kits & Ball
If we look 15 years ago, Arsenal was not sponsored by Adidas but by Nike, while Real Madrid already wore Adidas. Most of the boot silos on stage do not exist anymore - however, the most famous boots of that time worn by the biggest stars like Ronaldo (Nike Mercurial Vapor III) and Zidane (Adidas Predator Pulse) are also each brand's most popular boots in 2020.
Adidas' supplied Real Madrid's Beckham, Zidane and Raul
Kits
Arsenal
Nike paid tribute to the Arsenal's final season at Highbury
For the 2005-2006 season, Nike paid tribute to the Arsenal's final season at Highbury, which had been their home since 1913. The Arsenal 2005-2006 home kit featured a classy design in maroon and golden, while the Arsenal 2005-06 away kit was yellow and navy. The 05-06 third kit was carried over the previous season.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid got a classic white and black home kit, which was worn in the majority of matches in the 2005-2006 season. Both their navy 2005-2006 away kit and silver 2005-2006 third kit are not very well remembered.
You can see more of Real Madrid's old Adidas kits on Football Kit Archive.
Boots
In 2005-2006, Adidas and Nike were already the two leading boot brands. The rise of Nike was a process that began in the early 1990s, especially with the USA 1994 World Cup, and since the early 2000s, Nike has been at least on the same level as Adidas.
Adidas back then had two "modern" boot silos as well as the Copa Mundial worn by players, while Nike got the Mercurial, Total 90 and the brand's classic Tiempo.
Adidas Predator Absolute
Nike Mercurial Vapor III white / gold, worn by Thierry Henry
Nike Mercurial Vapor III blue / white, worn by Ronaldo
Nike Air Zoom Total 90 Supremacy, worn by Roberto Carlos
Puma v 1.06, worn by Fredrik Ljungberg
Adidas' most famous players in that match were David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Raul (all Predator), while Nike sponsored Thierry Henry, Ronaldo R9 and Roberto Carlos.
In the 2005-06 season, Reebok was also active, while Puma also had a few players. In example, Fredrik Ljungberg laced up in Puma's V1.06 boots.
Adidas only had been the Champions League ball maker since five years in 2005
Ball
In 2005-06, Adidas was already the official ball maker of the UEFA Champions League.
The Adidas Finale 5 Official Match Ball featured a rather boring look in white, blue and black. The Adidas Finale 2005-06 ball was based on the Adidas Roteiro 2004 ball model and did not have the today famous star panels - the first ball with the star panels was launched in 2009-10.
Arsenal moved on to the quarter final by winning 1-0 on aggregate. They should be only stopped by FC Barcelona in the 05-06 Champions League final.
Do you like the Adidas Real Madrid and Nike Arsenal 2005-06 kits? Which is your favorite jersey of both teams of the 2005-2006 season? Comment below.
