Aston Villa Players Continue to Wear Sweaty Castore Kits, Despite Player Complains
Update: Despite both the Men's and Women's team players have complained about Castore's wet shirts, both wore the regular kit in their games this weekend. It remains to be seen how fast Castore will solve the issue - the club and the supplier already announced that the problem would be fixed as soon as possible.
Due to the shirts becoming darker over time and with sweat/water, they appeared much darker than the maroon shorts. The shorts have no issues with breathability.
Update: Aston Villa players have complained about the wet-look shirts made by sports manufacturer Castore, which they say are weighing them down and affecting their performance. This is reported by The Telegraph.
The problem is most noticeable on the claret home shirts, which darken quickly during games due to perspiration, but players say it's the same with the away kit. Head coach Unai Emery is aware of the issue, and Villa are working with Castore to find a solution as quickly as possible.
The players have claimed that the shirts become uncomfortable and heavy and are affecting their performance. Any solution would require Castore to produce a new run of shirts that do a better job of absorbing sweat and remaining lightweight. It remains to be seen whether the issue could affect Villa's kit deal with Castore, but we do not think so.
23 September 2023: Major Castore Kit Quality Problem? Aston Villa Players Look "Like Coming out of the Bath"
Aston Villa's Europa Conference League game against Legia Warsaw has sparked controversy over their Castore kits.
Breathability Problem With Castore Aston Villa 23-24 Home Kits
Fans and kit experts alike have noticed the strange clinging of the jersey to the players' bodies, making them look "like they just came out of the bath," as @jackgrimse put it.
As visible in the pictures, Castore's Aston Villa 2023-2024 home kit seems to be lacking in breathability, leading to a noticeable build-up of moisture during the game.
Former kit designer and industry expert @Real_Rob_Warner also noted the bad breathability of Castore's Aston Villa kits, with his post being shared by many who watched the game.
This has led to a stark contrast between Aston Villa's home kits and Castore's kits of other teams, such as Newcastle's, whose kit seems to have extremely good breathability. Indeed, Castore's Aston Villa keeper kit also has great breathability, as visible in the pictures.
Aston Villa Play With Sponsorless Kits due to Ban of Betting Sponsors - Goalkeeper Logo Simply Taped
In addition, British clubs playing in some countries of Europe are forced to hide their gambling sponsors. For the keeper kit, Aston Villa just taped it.
Do you think Castore will fix the problem? Let us know in the comments below.