This is a Top End Kits Top 50. Counting down and ranking Retro Club Kits. Featuring our favourite club shirts from football history. This time, we’re keeping it strictly to club kits, with anything from before 2020 considered for the list. The ranking is based on personal preference, taking into account design, nostalgia, history and the memories attached to each shirt. From iconic European giants to lesser-known favourites.
PART 3 OF 5
#30 — Palmeiras 1989/91 Home
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Striker Careca Bianchezi wearing the classic Coca-Cola shirt in 1990.
The Palmeiras 1989/91 home shirt by adidas may actually be the quintessential classic football shirt. Before Brazilian kits went wild in the 90s, they were often much more understated — and this is a perfect example.
There is very little fat to trim when it comes to this one. A classic adidas design, a deep green base, a simple white V-neck and sleeve trim, completed by the iconic Coca-Cola sponsor. I don’t think you could make a shirt look more 80s if you tried.
I love how traditional this shirt feels. There’s nothing overly complicated about the design, and in a way, that’s exactly what makes it so appealing. It’s simple, timeless and unmistakably Palmeiras — the kind of shirt that could be re-released today and still wouldn’t look out of place on a modern football pitch.
TEK Ranking: #30
#29 — Bayern Munich 2006/07 Third
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Roy Makaay celebrates after scoring the quickest goal in Champions League history against Real Madrid on March 7, 2007. The record still stands to this day.
Bayern Munich purists are famously territorial and traditional when it comes to their home kits, so I’d be interested to hear their thoughts on this one.
Technically labelled as a third kit, this deep burgundy beauty was exclusively worn in the Champions League. It was the shirt Bayern wore during their famous knockout of Real Madrid — a tie immortalised by Roy Makaay scoring the fastest goal in Champions League history, finding the net after just 10.12 seconds.
The shirt uses adidas’ hugely popular Teamgeist template, the same design rolled out across the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It was, quite simply, a seriously good era for football kits.
And it wasn’t just a great era for kits. Bayern’s squad was packed with big names: Lahm, Lúcio, Sagnol, van Bommel, Hargreaves, Podolski, Pizarro, Santa Cruz, Makaay and Schweinsteiger — not to mention Oliver Kahn in goal.
What makes this one stand out, though, is how different it looks from Bayern’s traditional red. The deep burgundy gives the shirt a darker, richer character, and there’s something about it that feels perfectly suited to those big European nights under the lights.
TEK Ranking: #29
#28 — Corinthians 2010 Third
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Brazilian Edu Gaspar playing for Corinthians in 2010.
This is one of the most distinctive Corinthians shirts of the 2010s. The predominantly black shirt, with the large purple cross across the chest, immediately catches your eye, while the gold detailing adds another layer to the design.
The purple cross was inspired by São Jorge, the patron saint of Corinthians, while the gold detailing and special centenary-era styling give the shirt an even more unique look.
The only thing that hinders this kit, is that it was apparently only ever worn twice in competitive matches, and in both those games, aging legends Ronaldo or Roberto Carlos were not involved. If this kit was used more often, and worn by those icons, I think it would be held much higher in the memory of football fans.
I’ve always loved how different this shirt is. There’s something about the combination of black, purple and gold that gives it a real presence, and it has aged incredibly well.
TEK Ranking: #28
#27 — Borussia Mönchengladbach 1996/97 Away
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Peter Nielsen during the UEFA Cup first-round second-leg match between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Arsenal at Stadion Köln on September 25, 1996.
In the 90s, Reebok rarely got it wrong. They partnered with some big clubs, including Liverpool, Aston Villa, Fiorentina, São Paulo, Cruzeiro and, of course, Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Some people may love this kit. Some may say it looks like a referee kit. I would agree with both.
It’s essentially a plain black shirt, but the white collar and sleeve cuffs both feature a small touch of green that adds to the sharpness of the design. The Gladbach badge sits on the left side of the chest, while the Reebok logo is positioned high and centrally beneath the collar. German beer company Diebels provides the sponsorship, with its classic German-style font making for a particularly good-looking shirt sponsor.
I absolutely love the simplicity of this one. It has that unmistakable mid-90s football aesthetic without needing a complicated pattern, and the black, white and green combination works brilliantly. I’ve always had a soft spot for Borussia Mönchengladbach, and the 90s were a great era for German footy tops. #27 feels about right for this one.
TEK Ranking: #27
#26 — Manchester City 2009/11 Third
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Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor celebrates scoring in the Europa League for City against Lech Poznań in 2010.
This Umbro Manchester City third kit is one of those shirts where the design does all the talking. A modern interpretation of Manchester City’s iconic sashed shirts of the 1970s, with the direction of the sash reversed for this version.
The simple white shirt, broken up by the colours of the sash, looked incredible. What really allowed this kit to shine, though, was the small Etihad Airways sponsor positioned underneath the crest. A traditional, oversized sponsor across the front of the jersey would have definitely hindered its aesthetic.
Worn across the 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons, the shirt was also part of City’s historic 2011 FA Cup-winning campaign.
For me, Umbro was Manchester City’s best kit manufacturer, and this design ranks among their very best.
TEK Ranking: #26
#25 — Real Madrid 2016/17 Away
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Cristiano Ronaldo in the UEFA Champions League Final in Cardiff 2017.
Purple has always had a special place in Real Madrid’s kit history, but adidas kept things beautifully basic here. The rich purple base, clean white detailing and unmistakable three stripes across the shoulders created a shirt that felt both classic and unmistakably modern.
This was the shirt of a ridiculous Real Madrid side. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos and Sergio Ramos were among the stars who wore it during a season that would end with Madrid winning both La Liga and the Champions League.
What certified this kit as an all-time Real Madrid classic was that night in Cardiff.
On June 3, 2017, Real Madrid walked out in purple against Juventus in the Champions League final. What followed was a 4–1 demolition that saw Madrid become the first team to successfully defend the Champions League in the modern era. Ronaldo scored twice, while Casemiro and Marco Asensio also found the net.
By the end of the night, the purple shirt had become part of one of the greatest seasons in Real Madrid’s history — a La Liga and Champions League double, capped off by a record-breaking European triumph. Interestingly, though, the team did put on their white jerseys for the trophy lift.
The design is excellent on its own, but when you attach it to a team of that quality and a season of that significance, it becomes something much more memorable.
TEK Ranking: #25
#24 — Bayern Munich 1997/98 Home
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Giovane Elber celebrates against Hertha Berlin in September 1997.
Most clubs are not usually this adventurous with their home shirts, and the one thing that is normally sacred is the colour, which is probably why this one stands out so much.
Released by adidas in 1997, this was a very different take on the traditional Bayern look. Navy blue took centre stage, with red horizontal bands across the chest, red sleeve panels and crisp white detailing. It had that oversized, baggy look that was standard for kits of the mid-to-late 90s. It was unmistakably Bayern, but unlike almost anything they had worn before or since.
And then there’s that Opel sponsor. Sitting perfectly within the chest design, it completes the look rather than distracting from it. The polo collar and classic adidas three stripes give the shirt just enough traditional detail to balance what was otherwise a pretty radical departure for the club.
For me, this is one of those kits that proves Bayern didn’t always need red to look like Bayern. The navy, red and white combination is absolutely gorgeous, and nearly 30 years later, it still looks effortlessly cool.
TEK Ranking: #24
#23 — Marseille 1989/91 Away
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Jean-Pierre Papin of Marseille in a match against PSG on February 10, 1991, in Paris, France.
Another kit that just screams ‘retro football’.
For starters, the lovely shade of blue that Marseille traditionally use to complement the white on their home strip always looks great as the base colour on their away kit. That ‘Marseille blue’ base is simple enough, but the two bold white bands running across each sleeve give the shirt its identity. Add the white V-neck with its subtle red and blue trim, the adidas logo and that beautifully understated Panasonic sponsor, and you have a shirt that will stand the test of time.
But this isn’t just a great-looking shirt. It belongs to one of the most memorable Marseille sides of the era. With Jean-Pierre Papin, Chris Waddle, Abedi Pelé, Carlos Mozer, Basile Boli and Éric Cantona among the names in the squad, Marseille won the French Division 1 title and reached the European Cup final.
For me, this is exactly what a great retro kit should be: simple, distinctive, packed with character and attached to a team that makes you want to go back and watch the footage all over again.
TEK Ranking: #23
#22 — Barcelona 1996/97 Away
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Ronaldo celebrates taking the lead over Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final on May 14, 1997.
Kappa’s teal Barcelona away shirt is iconic and completely one of a kind. The turquoise base is covered in a subtle geometric pattern, while the sleeves feature those unmistakable Kappa taping details, with flashes of red, blue and black bringing the whole thing together. Even the repeated “Barça” and Kappa branding across the fabric adds to its wonderfully over-the-top 90s character.
But with most great kits, the design is only half the story.
This was the shirt worn during Ronaldo Nazário’s extraordinary 1996/97 season. In his only campaign at Barcelona, the Brazilian scored 47 goals in 49 appearances and helped Bobby Robson’s side win the Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
It’s bold, colourful, unmistakably Kappa and permanently associated with one of the most electrifying individual seasons football has ever seen.
TEK Ranking: #22
#21 — Arsenal 1991/93 Away
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Andy Linighan playing in the Coca-Cola Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace on February 7, 1993.
There are great football shirts, and then there are shirts that become part of football culture. Similar to PSG’s “Louis Vuitton” kit featured in Part 2, this kit also has a nickname that is universally recognised. I’m talking about Arsenal’s “Bruised Banana”, of course.
When adidas unveiled this in 1991, they certainly weren’t playing it safe. The bright yellow base, chaotic navy zig-zag pattern, red detailing and unmistakable Trefoil logo made it one of the most outrageous shirts in English football. At the time, it was hardly loved — even Ian Wright later admitted that he and the other Arsenal players weren’t fans of it initially.
But football has a funny way of changing our opinions.
The shirt was worn across two seasons, surviving the transition from the old First Division into the newly formed Premier League. More importantly, it became associated with some of the biggest names of George Graham’s Arsenal: Ian Wright, Tony Adams, David Rocastle and Paul Merson. Wright famously scored a hat-trick on his league debut for Arsenal while wearing it away at Southampton.
The following season brought even more history. Arsenal lifted both the League Cup and FA Cup, with the Bruised Banana remaining part of the club’s identity during that memorable domestic cup double.
And that’s ultimately why this shirt has aged so well. What once looked outrageous now looks iconic. The design is unmistakably early 90s, completely unapologetic and impossible to confuse with anything else.
It might have started life as a shirt Arsenal fans weren’t particularly fond of. It ended up becoming one of the most recognisable football shirts ever made. An absolute classic, and one that is very unlucky to narrowly miss out on the top 20.
TEK Ranking: #21
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