Whether with classic stripes, new colors or unusual patterns: At the clubs of the Bundesliga, countless jerseys go over the counter before the start of the season. The design is heavily discussed in summer – but the processes for the clubs and their equipment start for a long time before the new dress really hangs in the fanshops.
The development of a new jersey begins about a year and a half in advance, as Tobias Röschl from the supplier Jako explains. The German sporting goods manufacturer equips Mainz 05 and VfB Stuttgart. To do this, the creative teams of the supplier sit down with the respective club, which then bring in their own ideas. “Sometimes there are already clear ideas from the previous year,” says Röschl.
From sample jersey to finished design
Work on two to three approaches – first only in digital form, just under a year before the planned start of sales are then also made for the first pattern jerseys. In autumn there is another round “in which you work on subtleties such as the sleeve end or the collar,” explains Röschl. “Ideally in November, at the latest in December we have the final jerseys.” At Jako, about five to ten people are intensively involved in a jersey, and it is much more in sales and marketing.
“A jersey succeeded when it is well received by a wide fan base,” says Röschl. This is not only shown in the sales figures, but also in the mood that is available in social media. A good jersey must therefore also tell “a story”: At the new home jersey of VfB Stuttgart, the city’s stair facilities have been integrated into the design. If fans identify with the design, jerseys could also sell “regardless of sporting success”, says Röschl.
Shame for our club: Bayern-Ultras dissatisfied with jerseys
But not every unusual idea of the suppliers is well received by the fans. The FC Bayern home jersey is not only dominated by the classic red this season, but also shows wide, white longitudinal strips that are supposed to remind you of the appearance of the Munich stadium. Even before the start of sales, the south curve even expressed its dissatisfaction with a banner. “Your jersey designs have been a shame for our club for years – listen to the fans!” It was read about the last home game of the past season.
The new home jersey is not the first design that arrives badly in the fan scene. The new Champions League jersey of the German record champion is not the first to be mainly in black-if it is up to Munich Ultras, the colors should always stay with the classic red and white. It was also said on a banner in the south curve: “The club colors are inviolable.”
Behind the appearance of the jerseys, which is often very different from the hoped-for, is a sales strategy, says the marketing consultant and fan article expert Peter Rohlmann. After all, if the new jersey look like the old, there is no reason to buy a new one – especially in view of the severely increased prices. The fans don’t care today, “whether they still wear the jersey from two, three or even ten years ago,” he says.
Dissatisfaction is accepted
New ideas should therefore make the jerseys more interesting, even if, as with FC Bayern, something “the color DNA of the club is neglected”, according to Rohlmann. The clubs and suppliers would accept the criticism of the fan curves – after all, most buyers are rarely the regular stadium goers, but fans who only go to the stadium occasionally or watch from home.
In addition, jerseys are no longer just a sports shirt, but are also worn in everyday life, says Rohlmann. New target groups are therefore also interesting for the suppliers and clubs. Clubs are increasingly playing in special jerseys that are kept in the retro look. FC Venice, for example, continued to work, which has worked with external designers several times since 2021. The jerseys are more reminiscent of luxury clothing with gold decoration, but became a big sales success for the rather small Italian second division team.
Outside Jako also emphasizes that it is part of trying something new today. The colors would have to stay the same with the home jerseys, but the clubs have become braver at away or alternative jerseys. “There can also be unusual colors here,” says Röschl. “Clubs have now understood that the jerseys have to differ in order to boost the sale.”
Rails prices in the Bundesliga crack 100-euro border
Even fans who can make friends with the designs could further doubt the high prices. At FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburger SV, a jersey for adults now costs just under 100 euros, at BVB even for children, around 80 euros are due.
Trips are just a few of many things, such as tickets or food that have become significantly more expensive in football, says Jost Peter from the fan group association “Our Curve”. “Especially with the entrance fee you have to discuss it. The stadium should be accessible to everyone,” he says. Removements are therefore a significantly smaller problem. After all, fans could decide for themselves whether they access the high prices or not – and also go to the stadium without the latest jersey.