There was once a time when the notion of a pink football shirt would have been met with derision. But no longer – and we are all the richer for it.
Because pink shirts are great. They work. Don’t know why but they do. We bet Palermo have a place in your heart and it’s because of the colour of their jersey (spoiler alert, they are featured).
These days pinks shirts are everywhere. Like Ed Sheeran’s back catalogue, they have sort of seeped into our collective consciousness. So to help you identify those which are deserving of your adoration, we’ve picked nine of our faves.
Palermo - Basically every shirt!
Palermo were the OG's when it comes to pink shirts. The club actually began life in red and blue halves, before adopting their current tones in 1907. So the story goes, club member Count Giuseppe Airoldi argued that the combination of pink and black simultaneously captured both the sweetness of victory and the bitterness of defeat. If you really love football shirts, you need a Palermo jersey in your collection.
Shop Italian Club shirts here.
Cerezo Osaka - Basically every shirt!
Join us as we fly to Japan to uncover shirt number two. Cerezo Osaka picked pink for the following reason: ‘cerezo’ is Spanish for ‘cherry blossom’ which also happens to be the symbolic flower of Osaka city. And there you have it.
Shop Japanese club shirts here.
Galatasaray - Third Shirt - Season 2010-2011
Unless you are a fan of the Turkish giants (or one of their bitter rivals) you may have missed this beauty. Gala chose pink for their 2010/11 third shirt and while it wasn’t a season to be remembered (eighth place finish), the campaign was brightened up whenever they wore this. In case you missed it, the detailing around the badge is a lovely touch, too.
Buy the Galatasaray third shirt here.
Juventus - Centenary Shirt - Season 1997-1998
Here we go then. Here we bloody go. Juve, Kappa, Sony MiniDisc, pink. What a combination.
Pink was actually chosen by the club's founders for the early games, inspired by the colours of the high school they attended. The change to black and white stripes took place by accident when, by mistake, a package of Notts County jerseys arrived in Turin. Throughout the club’s history, Juventus have often worn pink shirts – but with varying degrees of success. This one though a gold-plated classic and was used in the 1997/98 season to celebrate the club's centennial.
Shop Juventus shirts here.
Juventus - Away Shirt - Season 2011-2012
Ah, Juve again. This time from the 2011-2012 season. Captain Alessandro Del Piero played his last game for Juventus while wearing this bad boy, helping to transform it into a must-have.
Club Tijuana - Special Jersey - Season 2021-2022
You know what's better than just wearing a pink football jersey? Using it to raise awareness about important issues, that’s what. Which is exactly what Club Tijuana did during the 2021/22 season. The kit was designed to draw attention to breast cancer, featuring female silhouettes and ribbons.
Scotland National Team - Away shirt - Year 2016
And here comes the million-dollar question: Which European national team has worn pink? Scotland, that’s who. During that, errr, golden period between 2016 and 2018.
Shop Scotland shirts here.
South Korea National Team - Home shirt - Year 2020-2021
South Korea always have great shirts and this is no exception. While red features on the nation’s flag, this is definitely more of a pink – and we love it. A complex pattern and one of the great international crests. YES.
Shop South Korea shirts here.
Leicester City - Third Shirt - Season 2019-2020
Now somewhat of a collectors piece, this Leicester shirt divided opinion at the time. Needless to say we were fans from the off. The retro design nod from Adidas was a lovely touch. More pink please Leicester!
Shop all English club shirts here.
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