New Football Shirts Across Europe: Black, Pink, and Heritage Designs
The new season is still weeks away, but the kit carousel is already in full spin. From Venlo to Copenhagen, from Troyes to Shrewsbury, clubs are using fresh designs to tell local stories, mark milestones and, of course, sell a vision of what’s to come.
VVV-Venlo: Mint on Black, City on the Sleeve
VVV-Venlo have rounded off their 2026-27 collection with a striking away shirt that leans heavily into the club’s tribute to the city. Craft keep it sharp and uncomplicated: a black base, subtle tonal striping running through the body, and mint green doing the talking on the details.
Logos and sponsor marks all arrive in that same mint shade, popping against the darkness of the shirt. The club’s traditional yellow-and-black crest cuts through the palette, the one deliberate clash in a design that otherwise feels meticulously controlled. It’s modern, clean, and clearly built to sit comfortably alongside the rest of Venlo’s city-themed set.
Rochdale: Soft Pink for a Hard Climb Back
Rochdale AFC are back in the English Football League, and they’re not slipping in quietly. Their 2026-27 away kit, produced by O’Neills, turns to soft pink at a moment when the club is trying to show a harder edge on the pitch.
The shirt carries a pink base, broken up by crisp white side panels that slim the silhouette. A white V-neck collar and matching sleeve cuffs bring structure, but it’s the black and pink trim that nudges the design into retro territory. The monochrome black club crest, O’Neills logo and sponsor print sit neatly on top, giving the shirt a throwback feel without tipping into costume. For a club on the way back up, it’s a bold choice and a clear statement: this is not the Rochdale that slipped out of the league.
FC Copenhagen Women: Tradition in White, Edge in Black
In Denmark, FC Copenhagen Women step into 26-27 with a pair of Adidas kits that mirror the club’s growing profile. The home shirt stays loyal to tradition: a white base, clean and familiar, but sharpened by a streamlined Adidas graphic in blue and purple. It’s the same visual language seen on Köln and Yokohama F Marinos, among others, yet it feels tailored enough to Copenhagen’s identity to avoid looking off-the-shelf.
The away kit flips the script. Black dominates, cut through by a bold blue sash that slices across the shirt. It’s a simple device, but an effective one, instantly separating home from away while keeping the club’s colours front and centre. Where the home shirt whispers heritage, the away version speaks with more bite.
Troyes: A Sunset Stroll Through Cat Alley
ESTAC Troyes and Puma have gone local, and gone deep. Their 26-27 away jersey draws its inspiration from the Ruelle des Chats – Cat Alley – one of Troyes’ most distinctive historic landmarks. This isn’t a token reference; the entire concept leans into the city’s architectural character.
The colours are chosen to mirror the tones of Troyes’ old building facades as they catch the light at sunset. It’s an atmospheric brief, and Puma’s design works to bottle that moment on fabric. The shirt becomes less a generic away option and more a walking postcard of the city, a reminder that for many clubs, the badge is only the beginning of the story.
Shrewsbury Town: A River Runs Through It
Shrewsbury Town’s new third shirt, crafted by Oxen for the 26-27 League Two campaign, looks beyond bricks and landmarks and heads straight for the map. The design celebrates the River Severn, whose famous loop around the town has shaped its identity for centuries.
That loop becomes the star. A distinct graphic pattern on the sleeves traces the river’s path, tying directly into the launch tagline: “In the Loop.” The concept is clear and unapologetic, giving the third kit a defined purpose rather than leaving it as a mere change strip.
The shirt now joins Shrewsbury’s already released 140th Anniversary home kit and the away strip, completing a trio that spans history, tradition and geography in one season’s wardrobe.
From mint flashes in Venlo to sunset tones in Troyes and river lines in Shrewsbury, the message is consistent: shirts are no longer just colours and sponsors. They’re becoming shorthand for who a club is, and where it comes from. The real question is which of these designs will still feel iconic once the results start to write their own stories on them.
