"I Wore a Spurs Kit at Inter": Legendary Keeper Gianluca Pagliuca Talks Football Shirts
Former Sampdoria, Inter and Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca recently spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport about the jerseys he wore during his career and he made some interesting revelations.
Hidden Logos, Custom Colours and Tottenham Kits: Gianluca Pagliuca's Unusual Jerseys
Gianluca Pagliuca enjoyed a 20 year career in Italian football, playing for Sampdoria, Inter, Bologna and Ascoli in that time, as well as making 39 appearances for Italy. Recognised as one of Serie A's finest goalkeepers of the 90s, the timing of his career meant that he wore some pretty outlandish shirts, as did most shot stoppers of that era. For Pagliuca though, it was important to play in jerseys that he found aesthetically pleasing. Known for having something of a short temper on the pitch, he wasn't afraid to let kit manufacturers know what he really thought either.
"I never once took to the pitch in a jersey I was unhappy with." Gianluca Pagliuca.
When Sampdoria switched from Kappa to Asics, he wasn't keen on the new shirts he was given. He informed the brand's marketing rep, who replied that for him, all that mattered was that Asics' logo appeared on the kit. Pagliuca was free to wear shirts from other brands, once their logo was covered up by an Asics one, so he often chose jerseys made by Reusch. Most of the time their name was obscured on the chest, but still sometimes peeked out behind the stitched-on Asics patch, as seen above. On other occasions both brand names were clearly visible.
In 1994, Pagliuca moved from Sampdoria to Inter, and Umbro became his new kit supplier. He liked their shirts, and even contacted the brand personally to make sure he could get his hands on one in particular:
"Tottenham's goalkeeper had a jersey that I loved because the colours reminded me of Aston Villa, and I'm a big fan of Villa. I called Umbro and told them I wanted this shirt. They sent me over 3 or 4 of them, with the Tottenham crest still on them, so we stitched the Inter crest on top of it. Nowadays you could never do something like that." Gianluca Pagliuca.
As well from wearing another team's shirt, Pagliuca also put in colourway requests for the shirts Umbro made for him. In the 95-96 season, they gave him a wavy-striped "bumblebee" jersey in yellow and black. Pagliuca approved of this version, but he also wanted one in Inter's home colours of black and blue. Umbro obliged, although he didn't get to wear it too often for obvious reasons.
Pagliuca also recounted how he swapped shirts with Diego Maradona after a Serie A game once. Unfortunately, he somehow lost it over the years, but says he has held on to all but one or two of the jerseys he wore throughout his career.
What do you think of Pagliuca's stories about the shirts he wore during his career? Would you like to hear more players' kit stories? Let us know in the comments.
Limited to 350 Pieces: Seongnam FC 2026 Third Kit Released
Seongnam FC and kit supplier Umbro have officially launched the club's 2026 third kit. Celebrating an unbroken 11-year partnership between the K League 2 side and the British brand under the concept "11 Years Together, Built for Today", the jersey arrives as an exclusive collector's release strictly limited to 350 numbered units.
The Seongnam FC 2026 third shirt introduces a refined champagne gold and cream base paired with black accents. A classic black ringer collar and matching cuffs frame the silhouette, complemented by black side flanks. Across the body, the fabric incorporates a subtle tonal jacquard pattern formed by repeating Umbro double diamonds in vertical stripes. A prominent condensed "SEONGNAM CITY" sponsor script sits across the center, accompanied by the Umbro logo and Seongnam's iconic magpie crest with surrounding stars. Alongside the cream outfield shirt, an equally striking magenta-pink goalkeeper version in the same template was also presented.
The special 11th-anniversary shirt follows the club's 2026 home and away strips, which were released earlier this year in February.
Persita Tangerang 26-27 Third Kit Released
Indonesian club Persita Tangerang has officially unveiled its new third kit for the 2026-27 season. Made in-house, the release follows the launch of their purple home and white away kits late last month, completing the Pendekar Cisadane's look for the new Super League campaign.
The Persita Tangerang 2026-27 third jersey introduces a clean look based around a deep forest green colorway. The front of the shirt features an intricate, tonal jacquard graphic pattern woven into the fabric, accented by contrasting white piping along the raglan sleeve seams and collar edge. A central stylized monogram crest sits front and center on the chest, positioned just above the Indomilk Moya sponsor wordmark finished in a muted sage tone.
Matching dark green shorts and socks complete the full uniform. The in-house third strip is already available through the club's official retail channels.
Special Virgil van Dijk x Patta Jersey Revealed
Amsterdam streetwear label Patta has teamed up with Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk and Nike to unveil a vibrant, one-off football jersey for the Virgil's Legacy Trophy. The international under-13 tournament, founded by the Liverpool defender in collaboration with his formative club Willem II, brings together 16 elite youth academies from across Europe to compete in Tilburg.
The shirt draws deep inspiration from Van Dijk's Surinamese heritage, taking stylistic cues from traditional pangi cloth, a brightly patterned woven textile central to Maroon and Surinamese culture. The design ingeniously weaves together the primary colors of every participating club, including Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG, Ajax, and AC Milan, translating their identities into an eye-catching, blurred check motif across the entire shirt.
The reverse lists the complete roster of competing clubs under "The class of '26," complemented by a custom Patta x Nike co-branded jock tag on the lower hem.
The bespoke jersey has been created exclusively for the young players taking part in the tournament as a commemorative keepsake rather than receiving a general retail release.
First 2 Adidas 2027 Boot Packs Leaked
Video game modder BxR Mods has recreated the first two Adidas 2027 football boot collections, providing a clear preview of what the Three Stripes have prepared for early 2027.
The 2027 Base Pack marks an important transition for Adidas, centered around predominantly black uppers accompanied by heritage-inspired accent colors across all three core silos. Most notably, the collection features the next-generation Predator 27 with its classic fold-over tongue, the returning AdiPure line set to succeed the Copa franchise, and the updated F50 Hyperfast. Alongside the traditional black-based editions, the preview also showcases the first main pack of the year, the collection to be worn by Adidas' best players.
Both of these Adidas packs launch in January 2027.
Nike Inter Milan 26-27 Third Kit Leaked - New Image
A new image of the Nike Inter Milan 26-27 third kit has surfaced, confirming the retro-inspired look that pays tribute to the club's iconic 1997-98 third shirt worn during the Ronaldo era.
Adidas Liverpool 26-27 European Training Shirt + Collection Released
Liverpool and Adidas have officially unveiled their all-new European training collection for the 26-27 season. Promoted under the tagline "Made for Europe", the range will be worn by the squad during training sessions and media obligations ahead of Champions League fixtures.
The Adidas Liverpool 26-27 European training collection is built around a crisp white base complemented by vibrant red accents. The iconic Adidas Three Stripes run down the sleeves in red, while the chest displays a monochrome red Liverpool crest enclosed in a shield, alongside matching red Adidas and AXA sponsor branding. Streamlined paneling and high-performance cuts from the latest Adidas Tiro template complete the refined aesthetic.
The range includes authentic short-sleeve training tops, long-sleeve drill tops featuring integrated snood neck collars, and insulated sleeveless puffer vests. The complete Adidas Liverpool 26-27 European training collection is available now through the club's official online store and retail outlets.
Hong Kong 2026 Home Kit Released
Nike and the Football Association of Hong Kong, China have quietly revealed the new Hong Kong 2026 home shirt.
The Nike Hong Kong 2026 home jersey combines two shades of red in a subtle half-and-half design, with a centrally aligned chest layout. The circular HKFA crest is positioned right in the center of the chest, accompanied by a white Nike Swoosh directly beneath it.
