We’ve searched high and low amongst the 60 clubs in Italy’s third tier to bring you the finest new shirts on display in 2021/22. Enjoy this treasure trove of left-field manufacturers, bespoke designs and unique colourways…
PADOVA (AWAY) x Macron
This away shirt is inspired by the designs of the late 1940s when Englishman Charles Adcock led the line for the Biancoscudati. The photoshoot took place on the pitch of their former home, Stadio Appiani, where Adcock played. The inside of the collar carries a line from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, which is set in Padova and pays homage to the city; “For the great desire I had to see fair Padua, nursery of arts, I am arrived… and am to Padua come, as he that leaves – a shallow plash to plunge him in the deep and – with satiety seeks to quench his thirst “. The home shirt is worth a look too.
AC TRENTO x ERREA
AC Trento have a lot to celebrate this season after sealing a return to Serie C for their centenary year. The vintage style halved design with a round buttoned collar features a special centenary crest. The sublimated eagle (taken from the club crest and city’s coat of arms) has a certain Teutonic quality, a nod to their location high up in the Dolomites close to the Austrian border.
PALERMO x KAPPA
The Sicilians engaged a creative design agency to work with Kappa on the design of their 21/22 shirts. The pink and black camouflage third shirt is nothing short of spectacular. However, having gone to all of that trouble, they proceed to overshadow the design with a cacophony of sponsors on the front of the shirt. Thankfully, the shirt is commercially available without these unwelcome additions. Kappa also supply Bari and Modena in Serie C.
VIRTUS ENTELLA (AWAY) x ADIDAS
The Black Devils remain one of the few Italian clubs supplied by Adidas (the others being Juventus, Cagliari and Alessandria). The pale blue and white stripes from the home shirt have been incorporated into the away shirt through the means of accents, positioned in a manner highly reminiscent of the Colombia 2018 World Cup design. Might this be the exception which proves grey shirts can work?
PESCARA (THIRD) x ERREA
Pescara have been extremely well served by Errea in recent seasons, though the jury is still out on this bold new third shirt. The diagonal band with a blurred effect is intended to replicate a jersey produced by Puma in the 1999-2000 season. The shirt is unlikely to see much action this season due to its similarity to the blue and white home shirt.
MANTOVA x GIVOVA
Mantova underline their unwavering commitment to a sash with this superb trio of shirts. The simplicity of the white home shirt with red accents repeated on the sash, collar and cuffs provides a strong overall look, underscored by an imposing polo collar. The colours are simply, but effectively inverted for the away shirt.
FERMANA x MACRON
Believe it or not this is actually a template shirt provided by Macron. The zig-zag design on the sleeves is continued on the main body through a tonal sublimation. The underlying design has some passing similarities to the 2020/21 Lazio shirt by the same manufacturer. The same template is also used by Ancona, Seregno, Grosseto, Monterosi and Giana Erminio in Serie C.
CATANZARO x EYE SPORTS
EYE Sports hail from Sardinia and have quite a footprint in Serie C with Turris, Pro Vercelli and Olbia. They make bespoke designs for each team including this number for Catanzaro. The Southern Eagles have departed from their traditional red and yellow stripes for a predominantly red design in 21/22.
TARANTO x FRANKIE GARAGE
Fashion brand Frankie Garage only make shirts for Taranto and Perugia (Serie B). We would expect no less of course, but the designs are consistently excellent. A very clean set of home and away shirts work in prefect harmony with the primary sponsor, Raffo, a local brewery.
CATANIA x NIKE
Gli Elefanti have moved over to Nike for the new season and taken on one of their template designs. The brush stroke effect evokes the Juventus (Adidas) 20/21 shirt, whilst the hue and formation of stripes are similar to the Crystal Palace 20/21 shirt. Every spare square inch has been plastered in sponsors to give a cluttered overall effect. This is in stark contrast to Viterbese, who use the same template in yellow and navy without any sponsors.
FOGGIA x GIVOVA
Although manufactured by Givova, Foggia’s new away shirt is modelled on the club’s 1994/95 Adidas shirt. This template was made famous by, amongst others, Germany at the 1994 World Cup. Just to mess with everyone’s heads, the secondary sponsor Wuber was also used by Bari when they wore the original Adidas template! Re-hashing retro designs isn’t always a good idea, but we’re in favour of this attempt…
PISTOIESE x LEGEA
The Arancioni have harnessed their unique colour palette to great effect in their centenary year. The tonal diagonal detail elevates the shirt whilst the consistent use of navy blue on cuffs and sponsor’s logo provides a sharp look. The club’s crest has been replaced this year by the silhouette of a bear, a feature taken from last season’s away shirt.
FERALPISALO x IN-HOUSE
You would be forgiven for thinking that Unicom were a new entrant to the kit manufacturing market…but their game is high-end bathrooms. This shirt is produced in-house by the club based on the shores of Lake Garda. Conventional wisdom suggests blue and green should never be seen together, but the Serie C newcomers show little regard for this. The two lions from the club crest are reproduced on the sleeve to – in the words of the club – provide “a shield to protect their values”. The “pearl grey” away shirt is another daring design.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this then why not check out our 2021/22 Serie A and Serie B kit reviews too.
We are often asked where to source Italian football shirts; we recommend Classic Football Shirts as a great place to pick up current and previous season’s shirts for Serie A, B and beyond. They ship worldwide and you can get 10% with the code CALCIO10.
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