Iconic Italian Brand Ennerre Return to Kit Making
Ennerre, the Italian brand who kitted out Napoli, Roma, Milan, Sampdoria and others in the 70s, 80s and 90s have quietly returned to making kits with a couple of lower league Argentinian clubs.
Ennerre - A Brief History
For Italian former footballer Nicola Raccuglia (above), his greatest success in the sport came after he hung up his boots. Rather than turn to coaching or management, Raccuglia took the less-trodden path of setting up his own sportswear brand and producing football kits. He founded Ennerre in 1972, its reputation for style and quality steadily growing as the years went on. Throughout the 70s and 80s, the NR logo graced the shirts of Lazio, Milan, Fiorentina, Venezia, Atalanta amongst others, but were worn most famously by Diego Maradona's Napoli.
Distinguishable by their stitched on numbers, deep v necks, fold down collars and material blend of wool and cotton, Ennerre jerseys stood out from the rest and became symbolic of an era. The company's fortunes were on the downturn towards the end of the 80s and they went bust in the early 90s. However, a Japanese company had acquired the rights to the brand, so the NR logo continued to appear on shirts for teams such as Kashima Antlers and Uruguay, without any link to the original company. These shirts retained some of the aesthetic stylings of the originals, but adopted polyester as the main fabric. The last of these Japan-issued shirts were made for Tokyo Verdy in 2011.
Modern Day Comeback
Niccola Raccuglia re-acquired the rights to his brand name in 2017, and since then has re-released several items from their glory days. In 2021 Raccuglia struck a deal with Javier Ferriero to license the brand in Argentina, expanding its reach. As well as producing the aforementioned retro remakes, Ennerre Argentina make kits for the volleyball team of San Lorenzo. Now in 2023, the NR can once again be found on football kits.
Ennerre have re-emerged in the modern kit market, signing deals with Defensores del Belgrano and Club Deportivo Español in the second and third divisions of Argentinian football respectively. Much like the return of Reebok, Ennerre's comeback to making shirts has been very low key. The teams themselves announced the deals to their relatively meagre followings on social media, but no announcement has come via the official channels of either the brand.
The aesthetic of the new Ennerre kits are comparable to the brand's original shirts in terms of their simplicity, although they are more in keeping with typical modern day shirts when it comes to fabrics. You can check them out below.
Defensores de Belgrano 2023 Home Kit
This is the Defensores de Belgrano 2023 home jersey, made by Ennerre.
The Ennerre Defensores de Belgrano 2023 home shirt mirrors the club crest. The black base is brightened by two wide red stripes running down the front.
The jersey has a raglan cut and a simple v neck collar. The striping on the back of the Ennerre Defensores de Belgrano 2023 home shirt matches the front.
Defensores de Belgrano 2023 Away Kit
Check out Ennerre's Defensores de Belgrano 2023 away shirt below.
The Ennerre Defensores de Belgrano 2023 away shirt is white with red and black detailing on the side seams. The thin elasticated cuffs and round neck collar are black.
The red and black underarm sections taper towards the hem of the Ennerre Defensores de Belgrano 2023 away shirt.
Club Deportivo Español 2023 Home Kit
Check out Ennerre's Club Deportivo Español 2023 home shirt below.
The Ennerre Club Deportivo Español 2023 jersey is reminiscent of Spain's home strip. The red shirt has a navy polo collar with red and yellow detailing that recreates the Spanish flag.
The polo collar is combined with a wide v opening. Navy is also present on the cuffs, and a tonal pattern covers the Ennerre Club Deportivo Español 2023 home football shirt. Blue shorts and black socks round off the look of the new Club Deportivo Español 2023 home uniform by Ennerre.
Club Deportivo Español 2023 Away Kit
This is the new Ennerre Club Deportivo Español away jersey for 2023.
The home template is also used for the Ennerre Club Deportivo Español 2023 away shirt, which is white. The navy accents and Spanish flag detailing are identical on both shirts.
The tonal pattern has also been carried over to the away shirt. White shorts and socks round off the look of the new Club Deportivo Español 2023 away uniform by Ennerre.
Are you happy to see Ennerre back in the game? What do you think of their first new shirts? Would you like to see them team up with some European clubs? Comment below.
