The End of Venezia's Renaissance? Chief Brand Officer and Media Director Both Leave Club
Two key figures responsible for creating Venezia's new image and reputation have left the club. Brand director Ted Philipakos and media director Sonya Kondratenko have left their positions at Venezia to work full time with Greek division two club, Athens Kallithea.
The End of Venezia's Reign as World's Trendiest Club?
Until a few years ago, Venezia FC were virtually unknown to football fans around the world. They had played three seasons in Serie A around the turn of the century, their first since the 1960s, and had spent most of their history in Italy's lower divisions. In 2020, however, their kits started to garner attention in the football kit community. The following year, their first Kappa jerseys were launched to massive fanfare with a marketing campaign more typical of a luxury fashion house than a provincial Italian football club.
Venezia were relegated to Serie B at the end of the 21-22 season but the hype around their 22-23 shirts, complete with new crest, did not diminish. German design agency Bureau Borsche were responsible for the new crest, part of a visual rebrand that had really begun a couple of years prior when Ted Philipakos joined the club as Chief Brand Officer.
As he puts it on his own LinkedIn account, Philipakos "led the transformation of Venezia FC". By leaning on the culture, history and beauty of the city of Venice, the club has been presented as a lifestyle brand more than a football club, and the strategy has worked incredibly well. It's not just the kits that got a makeover. Their social media feed is carefully curated with artistic graphics a regular feature, their website was given a sleek redesign (also by Bureau Borsch) and they've released a photography book as well as fashionable rain and swimwear collections in Venezia's unique colour combo. They've also partnered with universities and cultural institutions in the city, giving them an appeal beyond football.
Artistic endeavours like the photography book and elegant matchday posters have become the norm at Venezia.
All of this has been under Philipakos' leadership, but he is not solely responsible for the transformation. Philipakos brought in Sonya Kondratenko as media director when he joined the club in August 2020, and the coverage Venezia's kits and various initiatives have received from renowned media outlets is thanks to her work. What's most impressive is that the club's footballing performances over that time period have been in stark contrast with their commercial growth. Being relegated from Serie A last season and currently sitting three points above the drop zone in Serie B does not seem to have affected their appeal.
Now after two and a half years, both Philipakos and Kondratenko have left their roles at Venezia to work on Philipakos' other project, Greek club Athens Kallithea. He has been president of the club since 2021 and has been recycling some of the techniques that proved so successful for Venezia; partnerships with Kappa and Bureau Borsche, kit launches stylishly shot around the club's home city, a new letter-based crest that doesn't look like a typical football club badge have already been introduced.
He has already succeeded in breathing new life into Athens Kallithea, and with his full attention and the expertise of Kondratenko they will surely continue to prosper and reach a status similar to that of Venezia. The Italian club however, will be keen to find replacements capable of continuing their progress. Significant groundwork has been laid, but it will be interesting to see if Philipakos and Kondratenko's successors will be able to maintain the trajectory that the club have been on for the last couple of years.
Do you think that the loss of these two important figures will impact Venezia's image and status going forward? Or has the hard work already been done? Can you see Athens Kallithea surpassing them in the cool stakes? Let us know in the comments.
Reggina 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
Italian club AS Reggina 1914 and technical partner Givova have officially unveiled the club's new home, away, and goalkeeper kits for the 26-27 season. Drawing profound inspiration from the historical landmarks and archaeological heritage of Reggio Calabria, each shirt tells a distinct story rooted in local identity.
The Reggina 26-27 home kit arrives in the club's traditional amaranto shade, decorated with an intricate geometric graphic on the front panel inspired by the ancient Roman Baths of Reggio Calabria. Givova's white logos sit on the chest and sleeves, matching the kit's clean numbering and completing an all-amaranto look with coordinating shorts and socks.
For the away strip, Givova delivers a predominantly white design accented by an amaranto collar, side panels, and sleeve trim. The front of the shirt features subtle vertical band patterns drawn from the ornate mosaics at the Roman Villa of Casignana, accompanied by a retro 1990s-style club badge. Completing the set, the goalkeeper kit stands out in vibrant green, adorned with claret details and a striking circular motif portraying Calabria's traditional apotropaic masks.
Adidas Flamengo 26-27 EQT Collection Released
Adidas and Flamengo have officially launched the club's new Equipment (EQT) retro collection, making the Rubro-Negro the first Brazilian club to receive the iconic line. Inspired by the brand's seminal 1991 and 1992 aesthetics, the 1990s-themed capsule ditches the modern CRF monogram in favor of Flamengo's historic rowing crest with crossed oars and an anchor, placed alongside the classic Adidas Trefoil text logo. The lifestyle collection features five pieces including a color-blocked windbreaker jacket, crewneck sweatshirt, track pants, and graphic t-shirts in the club's signature red, black, and white color scheme.
Go Ahead Eagles 26-27 Third Kit Released
Dutch Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles and technical sponsor Stanno have officially unveiled their new third kit for the 2026-27 season. Named "Our Holy Waters," the design serves as a thematic companion to this season's "Our Holy Ground" home and away jerseys, shifting the focus to the club's deep connection with the IJssel river.
The Stanno Go Ahead Eagles 26-27 third shirt is built around an off-white base with fine vertical pinstripes running down the front. The centerpiece of the design is a detailed historic cog ship illustration across the torso, celebrating the Hanseatic maritime history of Deventer. Rich forest green decorates the folded collar and sleeve cuffs, complemented by gold trim and "GAE" lettering embroidered on the collar insert. Sponsor logos and branding appear in a metallic copper-bronze shade, alongside a recolored green and gold club crest.
Matching off-white shorts with green side piping and socks featuring the club's eagle crest complete the full kit. The Go Ahead Eagles 2026-27 third kit is available to purchase immediately through the club's official online store.
EFL Trophy Set to Become 'Jersey Mike's Trophy'
The EFL Trophy is set for another commercial rebrand, with American fast-food chain Jersey Mike's Subs closing in on a record-breaking title sponsorship agreement. The English Football League is finalizing a five-year contract worth approximately £5 million to officially rename the competition the Jersey Mike's Trophy.
The landmark partnership represents the most lucrative commercial deal in the history of the tournament. Participating clubs from League One and League Two, alongside invited Category One academy sides, will benefit from boosted prize money, starting with an initial pool of around £900,000 this season. The agreement directly supports Jersey Mike's major expansion into the UK and Ireland, where the US brand plans to roll out up to 400 store locations.
This move adds yet another chapter to the competition's long lineage of commercial title sponsors. Most recently titled the Vertu Motors Trophy, the tournament has previously operated under numerous memorable names, including the Papa Johns Trophy, Checkatrade Trophy, Johnstone's Paint Trophy, and the nostalgic LDV Vans Trophy.
No More Predator? Pedri Spotted in Next-Gen Adidas adiPURE Whiteout Prototype Boots
FC Barcelona and Spain midfield maestro Pedri has been spotted testing a whiteout prototype of the all-new Adidas adiPURE boots. Following Bayern Munich center-back Jonathan Tah, who stepped out in test pairs earlier this month, Pedri is now the most high-profile Adidas athlete seen taking the unreleased silhouette out onto the pitch.
The sighting comes as Adidas prepares to bring back the revered adiPURE silo for 2027, officially phasing out the Copa series to establish adiPURE as the brand's primary touch-and-leather boot alongside the Predator and F50. The next-generation adiPURE is engineered to combine classic heritage with modern speed, incorporating a plush Pureleather forefoot, a lightweight technical mesh quarter, a free-floating tongue, and a redesigned Adiframe soleplate.
While Pedri has been one of the central figures representing the Predator line, even rocking his personalized "Predri" signature branding, he has occasionally flirted with Copa models during training in previous seasons. Testing the whiteout prototype strongly indicates that Adidas might be positioning the Spanish technician as the premier ambassador to spearhead the revived adiPURE range ahead of its official debut in early 2027.
Steven Bergwijn Wears Unreleased Nike Kobe Mercurial Boots
The Nike Mercurial Mamba soccer cleats are set to be launched on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
