Unless you’re a Schalke or Bayern fan, we reckon there’s a decent chance you might just have a soft spot for Borussia Dortmund.

Maybe it’s that big old stadium, perhaps it’s their sehr groß fanbase. Who knows? They’re just a very likeable club.

It’s been a tough time to support die Schwarzgelben, though. BVB haven’t won the league since 2012, a statistic made even worse by the manner in which they contrived to throw away the 2022/23 Bundesliga title (Arsenal, hold Dortmund’s stein).  

And yet, despite the scarcity of trophies in recent years, the Westfalenstadion still gets packed out every other weekend. The Yellow Wall - truly one of football’s great backdrops – is always, always full to the brim.

Aside from their magnificent following, BVB are also known for something else – a very well-deserved reputation for wearing lovely kits. We’ve delved into the archives to find eight that we think might just be their best ever.

 

8th - 2002-2003 - Away

It’s always interesting when a big club join forces with a smaller brand – although the details of BVB’s relationship with goool.de was a little more complicated. The company was formed as a subsidiary of Dortmund in 2000 – however, within months, the club’s precarious finances forced a sale of the company, with rights to the brand leased back to BVB. That meant the club’s kits could continue to be made by goool.de until 2004. The highlight of that period came in 2002/03 when the manufacturer kitted out Dortmund in yellow and black stripes.

 

7th - 2015-2016 - Away

Black has often been the colour of choice for Borussia Dortmund's second jerseys – with varying success. However, this one definitely worked. The pinstripes are a triumph, as is the understated elegance of the whole aesthetic.

 

6th - 2023-2024 - Home

A controversial choice, this one. But it makes the list because it was designed by a fan – the graphic depicts a silhouette of the Westfalenstadion, one of Europe’s greatest cathedrals of football. Let’s hope the team will be wearing this when they lift the 2023/24 Bundesliga. 

 

5th - 2012-2013 - European Home

A special jersey worn during the journey to the 2013 Champions League final, as BVB, under the direction of a certain J Klopp, became one of the most exciting teams in world football. Lewandowski, Reus and Gotze looked resplendent in this Puma striped number.

 

4th -2020-2021 - Fourth

Yes, we know it’s based on a Nike shirt from the 90s. And yes, we know it was a fourth shirt. But look at it. It’s gorgeous (sponsor aside). For those of you lucky enough to snare one, the shirt came in a special collector's box.

 

3rd -2022-2023 - Special

One of the many aspects of the club's history is its strong connection to the Ruhr region, known for its rich mining heritage. Taking inspiration from this, Puma once again introduced a limited edition jersey (also in a collector's box if you were wondering), this time in coal-black. The demand for this bad boy was incredibly high, quickly selling out within a few days of its release. Which probably means Puma will be eyeing up another special edition soon.

 

2nd -1996-1997 - Home

1st - 1994-1995 - Away

Feels a bit wrong putting a Dortmund shirt that isn’t yellow at number one but who cares when it looks this good. It’s just so perfect. The three stars on the collar and those shoulder graphics elevate this to god-like status. Incredibly, 1994/95 was also the first time BVB won the Bundesliga. Sometimes, the stars align.

 

Shop ALL Dortmund kits here.