New After 7 Years: Portimonense Will Have New Kits For The 2023-24 Season
Update: Footy Headlines can confirm that Portimonense will have new kits for the 2023-24 season, a first since 2016.
We don't know if it's only one new kit, either being the home, away or third, two new kits and only carrying the old home design or changing all three kits. However, they will be released shortly, so we will know soon.
We will complement this article with a new one with all the kits when more information is available.
Original: Portuguese side Portimonense have been wearing the same kit since 2016, which could well be the longest such run in club football.
Portimonense wear same home kit for 7 Years
Nowadays, there is a constant stream of football shirt releases, with each jersey having a life cycle of one year, or even less. That’s not a lot of time for the kits to make a lasting impression on the fans, but it is certainly a great way for greedy clubs, brands and investors to make a lot of money.
The days of teams wearing the same kit for even two years in a row are long behind us, although certain clubs (like Brentford) are bringing back that trend. The national side of North Macedonia are the most notable outliers however, having worn the same home shirt for 7 years, only updating it recently. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
We didn’t think there were any other cases of such extreme longevity in the football kit world, until we recently learned about Portimonense. Matching North Macedonia, the Portuguese club have been wearing the same home kit for seven years now, since the 16-17 season.
Quite strangely, they’ve refreshed their away kit a few times in that period, but the only change to their home shirt has been a solitary sponsor update. Made by Mizuno, the shirt calls to mind Fiorentina’s 01-02 home jersey by the Japanese brand, as it bears the same crossed line detailing on the sleeves. A throwback in more ways than one.
One possible explanation for the reluctance to change the kit is superstition. In their first season (16-17) with the shirt, they gained promotion back to the Liga Portugal, Portugal's top division. They’ve maintained that top flight status ever since, so maybe they consider it a lucky charm.
You might be surprised to learn of a few of the familiar names and faces who have worn the long-lasting jersey for Portimonense. Former Porto and Atlético Madrid Striker Jackson Martinez, along with his countryman and one time Man City youth player Marlos Moreno both had stints there, as did Stoke City flop Gianni Imbula.
Portuguese striker Beto loved the striped black and white striped design so much that he joined Udinese so he could continue wearing one. Keisuke Honda had his photo taken in the jersey, but technicalities prevented the club from being able to register him, so he never got to play in it. Rui Costa, Paulinho and Pepe also donned the shirt briefly, although not the ones you’re thinking of.
It will be interesting to see when the shirt will finally be put out to pasture, but it will surely be very well remembered by Portimonense fans and followers of the Liga Portuguese in general, purely for the massive exposure it has had over the last seven years.
Are you surprised to learn that a top flight club have kept a jersey for so long? Would you like to see more teams do the same? Comment below.
