2 weeks Ago By Jen Offord
According to John Blair, in his book A Culture of Kits: The Definitive Guide to Classic Football Shirt Collecting , the football shirt is “a symbol. A memory. A historical artefact.
A way of life.” Perhaps we would all feel the same if we were all Real Madrid fans. It is, perhaps, a bit more challenging to argue that a Charlton Athletic shirt is “a way of life”, unless, of course, that way is a deep trauma bond.
Nonetheless, while that particular assertion may feel a touch grandiose to some, it is impossible to argue against the cultural and historical significance of the football shirt to its fans. In A Culture of Kits , Blair sets out the nine pillars that define a classic shirt: success on the pitch, player association, design, sponsorship, controversy, nostalgia, milestone, scarcity, size of the fan base. Looking at those criteria, Real Madrid automatically ticks a lot of boxes.
Certainly at the club, few players can be accused as – as the classic slur goes – unfit to wear the shirt. By far and away the most successful club in Europe, Real can claim a whopping 36 La Liga, 20 Copa del Rey, and 15 Champions League titles in its impressive 123-year history. Iconic players to have worn the shirt include Ronaldo (the first one), David Beckham, Michael Owen, Zinedine Zidane, Gareth Bale, Raúl, and Christiano Ronaldo, to name just a handful.
As they look to make more history this summer, Los Blancos will have to get past Arsenal to claim a 16th title and score a few more goals to overtake rivals Barcelona in the domestic league. Nonetheless, with everything still to play for, perhaps this current squad of superstars, including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, can consign another shirt to the pantheon of classics made famous by Spain’s royal favourites..
