Jersey Boys! Which One Will You Buy?

Football kit launches have become as big a part of the close season as tiresome transfer tittle-tattle and pointless pre-season tours to far-flung places.

Ajax’s launch video – – satirises brilliantly the best and worst of modern kit design and how seriously players seem to take what they’ll be sporting for the coming season. Here’s a look at some of the best and worst shirts for the 2014/15 campaign.

Best:

Inter Milan
The Milan Fashion Show may not take place until September but Inter will be trendsetters next season, sporting this classic little black number. The Serie A club’s new home shirt for the coming season marks a major change from their traditional blue and black stripes, in favour of a predominantly black design with blue pinstripes. Their badge has also been modernised, without the fans protests that accompany such changes in English football.

Roma:
Roma’s first shirts from Nike are a throwback to retro jerseys from the 70s and possibly one of the reasons Ashley Cole chose the Serie A club over a host of suitors. Inside the back of the neck contains the motto “La Roma Non Si Discute Si Ama,” (‘Roma is loved without question’), and their new jerseys certainly are. Their white away strip with orange and Roma-red sash is just as striking, evoking memories of classic Admiral kits from the 1970s.

Monaco
Another classic looking jersey from Nike, echoing Monaco’s shirt designs from the 1970s. The kit is yet to feature a sponsor’s logo and looks all the better for it. However, I wouldn’t bet my shirt on model Radamel Falcao being around to sport it, with the striker heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid to join ex-teammate James Rodriguez.

West Ham United:
The Hammers new home kit is inspired by their Adidas strips of the 1980s when a side featuring the likes of Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie led them to their best ever league finish. Whether Big Sam’s team can replicate the style of their 80s counterparts remains to be seen.

Worst:

Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa
The Spanish third-tier side’s home matches will be black-tie affairs this season when they sport this bizarre tuxedo-inspired shirt. Their players don’t look too happy at its unveiling and it’s doubtful whether their fans will be shelling out their hard-earned euros for this monstrosity. However, the club has drawn the line at their formal attire – they will wear traditional shorts, socks and boots rather than black trousers and dress shoes with the shocking jersey.

Deportivo Lugo
Another Spanish side, another crazy jersey. It’s no surprise that Deportivo Lugo’s sponsors are local beer brand Estrella Galicia but the designers must have downed a few bottles of the amber nectar before coming up with this. Quite what they were thinking when they conceived this change strip is anyone’s guess – perhaps it’s in honour of the now sadly-departed football predictor extraordinaire Paul the Octopus.

West Brom
Whatever about their style on the pitch, West Brom have always been associated with classic blue and white striped kits, most notably their infamous “No Smoking” effort from the 1980s. Therefore, fans were shocked when the club and Adidas unveiled this new predominantly white shirt but sponsor QuickBooks were delighted as their logo is now more prominent. The backlash from supporters has been somewhat successful – the club have agreed to revert back to the club’s traditional colours for the 2015/16.