Men in Blazers x Classic Football Shirts: Week 5, Champions League Kits
Not since Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies took New York Fashion Week has there been a fashion duo quite as dreamy as this one. In a move that’s sure to make Son Heung-min stop dead in his Calvins, Men in Blazers has proudly teamed up with celebrated curators of football fashion, Classic Football Shirts, to stock the MiB Shop with some of the greatest football shirts to ever hit the football pitch.
Every week we’ll provide a breakdown of our Top XI Shirts of the Week, with each collection hand-picked by Rog, Davo, and the great minds at Classic Football Shirts. This week’s selection pays homage to the return of the Champions League. Welcome to our Week 5 champions of the Champions League kit list.
Shirt No. 1 of 11: Personalized Lionel Messi shirt.
Number: 10
Club, manufacturer, and season: FC Barcelona home Champions League shirt, made by Nike for the 2020-21 season.
Design: With two red stripes on the front, as well as a yellow crew-neck collar, this shirt’s design was inspired by the 10th anniversary of the 2010-11 kit, which was ultimately a Champions League-winning season for Barca.
Why it’s special: This was the last home kit worn by Messi, as he departed for PSG after the end of the ‘20-21 season. While he didn’t leave Barca with one last Champions League trophy, he did win four UCL titles overall during his time with the Blaugrana.
Shirt No. 2 of 11: Manchester United home shirt.
Number: n/a
Club, manufacturer, and season: Manchester United home shirt, made by Nike for the 2007-08 season.
Design: A stylish red shirt that pays homage to the club’s “Red Devils” nickname in three places: on the inside back collar; on the lower left front of the shirt; and on the bold white stripe that runs down the center of the back.
Why it’s special: United did the double in this shirt, winning both the ‘07-08 Premier League and Champions League titles. Ronaldo ran roughshod over the competition that season, with 42 goals in 46 total appearances, while striker-partners Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney chipped in with 19 and 18 goals, respectively.
Shirt No. 3 of 11: Personalized Giovane Elber shirt.
Number: 9
Club, manufacturer, and season: Bayern Munich home Champions League shirt, made by Adidas for the 2000-01 season.
Design: The tidy red-and-white design, coupled with the Opel car sponsor logo, lend this shirt a classic Bayern vibe, but the Champions League ball and trophy patches on the sleeves make it a unique find for any diehard fan of the German giants.
Why it’s special: After tasting bitter Champions League heartbreak just two years prior in the final against Manchester United, Bayern rebounded in dramatic fashion by topping Valencia on penalties in 2001 to capture their first European title in 25 years. As for Elber, the Brazilian striker was prolific, leading the club with 21 goals in 44 total appearances.
Shirt No. 4 of 11: Personalized Steven Gerrard shirt.
Number: 8
Club, manufacturer, and season: Liverpool home shirt, made by Reebok for the 2004-05 season.
Design: An attractive, minimalistic red top that finds its flair in the smaller touches, such as the white outline around the club badge, and the white panels beneath the sleeves.
Why it’s special: Moments don’t get much more special than Liverpool’s improbable comeback win over AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, and this was the shirt they wore on that famous night in Istanbul. Gerrard triggered the Reds’ comeback by scoring Liverpool’s first goal in the final, and went on to be named Man of the Match.
Shirt No. 5 of 11: Juventus away kit.
Number: n/a
Club, manufacturer, and season: Juventus away shirt, made by Kappa for the 1995-96 season.
Design: From the huge stars on the shoulders, to the neck-crest, this blue-and-gold shirt’s bold and unique design gives it a swagger befitting the Italian juggernauts.
Why it’s special: Juve only managed a second-place finish in Serie A that season, but it was in Europe where the Bianconeri did their best work. Led by Alessandro Del Piero’s six goals in 11 cup matches, Juve made it all the way to the final in Rome, where they ultimately topped Ajax to lift the Champions League trophy for just the second time in club history. They haven’t conquered Europe since.
Shirt No. 6 of 11: Chelsea home shirt.
Number: n/a
Club, manufacturer, and season: Chelsea home kit, made by Adidas for the 2011-12 season.
Design: Subtle horizontal shadow stripes and prominent white shoulder panels make this royal blue top a standout of Chelsea’s Samsung era.
Why it’s special: This was the home shirt worn during Chelsea’s unlikely run to the 2012 Champions League title. Led by the veteran nous of club legends like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry, the Blues barnstormed through Europe after a midseason managerial change, ultimately toppling Bayern Munich on penalties in the final, a match that was hosted at the opposition’s own home stadium.
Shirt No. 7 of 11: Personalized Roberto Carlos shirt.
Number: 3
Club, manufacturer, and season: Real Madrid away shirt, made by Adidas for the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons.
Design: From the handsome black-and-orange color scheme, to the miniature “MCF” badge on the collar, this is a memorable installment in Real’s rich kit history.
Why it’s special: Despite finishing a disappointing 5th place in La Liga, the Galacticos barnstormed through Europe, ultimately winning the Champions League title in Paris over Spanish rivals Valencia. Carlos finished the season with an impressive 8 goals from the back, 4 of which came during Real’s European run.
Shirt No. 8 of 11: Personalized David Beckham shirt.
Number: 7
Club, manufacturer, and season: Manchester United home shirt, made by Umbro for the 1997-98, 1998-99, and 1999-2000 European campaigns.
Design: A shirt that manages to be both straightforward and special, thanks to the white collar with black-and-red trim, gray badge, and special “Only United” tag on the side.
Why it’s special: The shirt the club wore on “that night” in Barcelona, when United famously scored twice in injury time against Bayern Munich to capture the 1999 Champions League title. The European trophy capped off United’s historic treble that season, as the Red Devils had already captured the Premier League title and the FA Cup. As for Beckham, he was outstanding that season, finishing second in both Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year voting.
Shirt No. 9 of 11: Barcelona home shirt.
Number: n/a
Club, manufacturer, and season: FC Barcelona home shirt, made by Nike for the 2005-06 season.
Design: A no-frills shirt that maintains a modern edge, thanks to the yellow panels at the base of the shirt, and the miniature Catalan flag tributes on the inside and back of the neck.
Why it’s special: Barcelona won their then-2nd Champions League title in this kit, which opened an impressive run of four UCL titles over the following 10 years. That season also saw an 18-year-old Lionel Messi start to make a name for himself in blue-and-red, as he scored 8 goals in 25 total appearances that season.
Shirt No. 10 of 11: Real Madrid home kit.
Number: n/a
Club, manufacturer, and season: Real Madrid home shirt, made by Kelme for the 1997-98 season.
Design: With a gradient purple, one-button collar and triangular trim on the sleeves, this shirt has a cool, playful vibe that looked very much at home on the backs of Madrid’s stylish footballers like Raul and Clarence Seedorf.
Why it’s special: Real Madrid captured their 7th European Cup in this kit, and their first since 1966. The big-eared trophy wasn’t enough to save manager Jupp Heynckes’ job, however, as the German gaffer was sacked just eight days after Real won the title in Amsterdam, thanks to the club’s disappointing 4th-place league finish.
Shirt No. 11 of 11: Personalized Kaka shirt.
Number: 22
Club, manufacturer, and season: AC Milan away shirt, made by Adidas for the 2006-07 season.
Design: A straightforward interpretation of Milan’s famous “Rossoneri” home kit, this sharp white away shirt uses tasteful red and black accents to terrific overall effect.
Why it’s special: Milan made up for the sting of losing to Liverpool two years prior by topping the Reds in the 2007 Champions League final in Athens. As for Kaka, the Brazilian maestro was sensational that season, ultimately being named the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner.