2010 was a remarkable year in football. In Europe the 2009/10 seasons of the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga and Eredivisie all went down to the final day. While in South America the Argentine Clausera and Apertura as well as the Brazilian league all saw at least two sides fighting for the title at the last round of matches. 

In club football the story of the season was undoubtably Jose Mourinho bringing cattenacio back to Inter and winning the first - and to date only - Italian treble with his spectacular side. 

In international football Andres Iniesta’s 116th minute strike sealed Spain’s first ever World Cup after hard fought battle with the Netherlands. And in the world of kits…

Adidas introduced their controversial powerweb technology for the start of the 2010/11. The design featured elasticated resistance bands to the back, designed to ‘store energy’ and created a weird clingy look on the front. Fair to say it did not revolutionise kit design.

Puma outfitted all four African qualifiers for the first World Cup on African soil and memorably produced an Africa unity kit which was officially the third choice kit of all the African sides in the tournament, though was never actually worn.

Nike for their part championed sustainability with all national sides and many club sides outfitted in 100% recycled polyester, with each shirt using the equivalent of 8 disposable bottles worth of plastic

So let’s get onto the events that made 2010 so damn special and undoubtedly one of - if not the most - competitive and hard fought years of football in recent memory.

31st Jan – Egypt

31st Jan – Egypt won the African Cup of Nations against Ghana in a battle that unusually pitted two sides against each other in identical Puma templates.

2nd May - Steve Mclarens FC Twente

2nd May - Steve Mclarens FC Twente secured an historic Eredivisie title on the final day while wearing a Diadora design featuring an impressively large sponsor - Arke certainly got their money’s worth.

5th May - Marseille

5th May - Marseille clinched their first French league title in 18 years with two games to spare - the sides Adidas away shirts stands to this day as one of the nicest French football has ever seen.

5th May - Inter won the Coppa Italia

5th May - Inter won the Coppa Italia in a decked out Nike home shirt featuring centenary detailing to badge, Coppa Italia shield to chest and a round neckline that harked back to the design worn by the side in the 2000/01 season.

8th May - Bayern claimed the Bundesliga title

8th May - Bayern claimed the Bundesliga title on the final day of the season. Ultimately finishing five points ahead of Schalke thanks to two second half goals from Arjen Robben and a draw for the side from Gelsenkirchen.

9th May - Chelsea secured the Premier League title

9th May - Chelsea secured the Premier League title on the final day with an emphatic 8-0 victory against Wigan, with the tally helping them to a record 103 goals scored in the campaign. The season saw them wear a memorable panelled Adidas formation design that stands to this day as one of the more unique designs the Prem has seen.

12th May - Diego Forlan

12th May - Two goals from the talismanic Diego Forlan saw Atletico Madrid win a dramatic, extra time decided, Europa League final against a plucky Fulham side.

15th May - FA Cup - Chelsea lifted the FA Cup

15th May - FA Cup - Chelsea lifted the FA Cup against Portsmouth while wearing the next seasons Adidas design that featured a memorable red and white collar and a continued association with Samsung.

16th May - Barcelona clinch La Liga

16th May - Barcelona clinched La Liga with a final day 4-0 victory against Valladolid. Their decadent gold trimmed Nike designed kit featured a gold shield to the chest that commemorated their 2009 club World Cup victory the season before.

16th May - Inter

16th May - It once again went down to the final day as Inter clinched the Serie A title to complete the Serie A and Coppa Italia double - the away kit worn in their greatest season ever featured a clean blue and black band overlaid on the crisp white design.

22nd May - Two Diego Milito goals defeats Bayern

22nd May - Two Diego Milito goals saw Inter defeat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final for first, and to date only, Italian treble.

11th July - Andres Iniesta’s memorable winner

11th July - Andres Iniesta’s memorable 116th minute winner saw Spain win a tense World Cup final against the Netherlands - becoming the first side since Brazil in 1958 to win the World Cup final while wearing their away kit.

18th August - Internacional lift the Copa Libertadores

18th August - Brazil’s Internacional lifted the Copa Libertadores in their iconic red strip following an all Reebok clash with Mexico’s Guadalajara.

6th December - Fluminense lift the Brazilian league title

6th December - Fluminense lifted the Brazilian league title with final day victory over Guarani - the side were as ever decked out in there iconic green and maroon kits with the inclusion of some of the biggest collars seen on a football pitch anywhere this millennium.

8th December - Independiente

8th December - Independiente wearing a sweeping Puma design won the Copa Sudamericana on penalties against Brazil’s Goais following a dramatic 3-1 second leg turnaround.

12th December - Juan Sebastian Veron

12th December - Juan Sebastian Veron led his Estudiantes side to victory in the Argentine Apertura in a nice topper design that featured an appropriate gold trim, introduced to honour their Copa Libertadores triumph the year before.