GoalPost #19: Venezia FC, Ajax, Muller
Fashion, icons and legends
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TotalFootball brings the GoalPost series which features 3 articles from the Web that are interesting and informative .
Venezia FC
Synopsis
Venezia FC, the team from Venice, is back in the Serie A after 19 years and with a bang. I Leoni alati (the winged lions) have debuted a mind-blowing home jersey which is profiled briefly — in a clothing and fashion blog.
My View
Of all leagues, Italian clubs I feel have, on average, the best jerseys. While the stripes of the big clubs are popular, the colours of the Roman sides and the designs of teams like Cagliari, Genoa are also very elegant. This is not even going into the iconic and beautiful purple jerseys associated with Fiorentina. Having grown up watching the Serie A, the sartorial aspect of football has always been important for me. Venezia FC’s home jersey though has taken fashion to a new level. Gli Arancioneroverdi (The Orange — Black — Greens) jersey is simply mind-blowing. The artistic incorporation of club colours, Basilica di San Marco stars, club name, crest and Kappa logo is beyond description. More impressively it does not stop there. The away jersey has the club colours represented as ombre triangles, inspired by Venetian mosaics. Needless to say, both shirts are sold out at the time of writing. For some time now, we’ve seen a slow shift of football jerseys — moving from mere replicas to mainstream wear. Venezia FC has just blown it out of the park, setting a high fashion marker that will be remembered for ages.
Discover more: http://www.highsnobiety.com/p/venezia-kappa-home-shirt
Ajax — Three Little Birds
Synopsis
Ajax’s third jersey for this season pays an artistic tribute to Bob Marley, by featuring three little birds, in Jamaican flag colours, stitched on to the back (neck) of the jersey, a nod to Marley’s track of the same name.
My View
While I support PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie, there’s no denying the history that Ajax in various senses of the word — trophies, cultural associations, players and innovation. Football jerseys are prime real estate for a club. If we deconstruct a jersey, it has four core elements: club colours, club crest, manufacturer’s logo and shirt sponsor name. This is the baseline. Design enhances these elements. Many jerseys incorporate reminders to important history and associations through embedded patterns. Jerseys are a means of communication — and are increasingly being viewed as that. This Ajax jersey pays tribute to a song that has become a club anthem and was also designed in consultation with Marley’s family. Ajax is once again innovating. It’s using the potential of the third jersey to create, establish and credit an organic relationship that its fans have developed, and a relationship that is important to them.
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Gerd Muller
Synopsis
With the recent passing of Gerd Muller, it’s important to take a step back and realize his phenomenon. This article provides a comprehensive yet succinct summary of Der Bomber’s exploits and legend.
My View
Who is the greatest #9 of all time? Well, I grew up watching van Basten who is one of my idols. After van Basten, Batistuta came on the scene. His raw power and iconic celebrations in the beautiful purple of Fiorentina captured hearts. This was until Ronaldo Nazario burst on to the scene. All were supreme out and out strikers. No one however did the one thing that a #9 is supposed to do — score goals, better than Gerd Muller. His records for country and club stood for decades and even when they were overtaken by Ronaldo/Klose and Messi, Muller still boasted a higher scoring rate. As the legend himself was quoted on UEFA: “You need to be able to score blind. It really helps if you can shoot at the goal without looking.” This showed the supreme goal-mouth poacher that Gerd Muller was. He won every major club and international honour along with a Ballon d’Or and FIFA Order of Merit. Muller may not have been as fashionable but he delivered when it mattered with both a phenomenal scoring rate and equally great sense of occasion. He either did it first, or better, or both. Strikers have their own styles and attributes. While our favourites will vary with our preferences, at the end of the day, we can all agree that Muller was the greatest #9 of all time.
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