Today, we are able to present you with a very interesting piece of history: a time travel through the important stages of Athletic Bilbao's kit evolution. Thanks to Athletic Bilbao for providing the pictures and background info.
Athletic Bilbao's iconic red & white stripes design remains mostly untouched at its core up until now. Interestingly, Athletic Bilbao only started advertising on their jersey in the 2008/09 season, when Petronor was introduced.
1911 - 1920: Diversity
In the early years after the foundation of the club in 1898, it was the player's task to choose their own style, which resulted in some players wearing regular collars, opposing to others choosing V-necks with cords.
1920 - 1970: Evolution to a Polo shirt
As observed in fashion industry, Athletic Bilbao underwent some changes considering the use of collars and buttons. The buttons disappeared in 1967, but the collars and the V shape remained.
1970 - 1980: Towards a modern design
The season 1970/71 was crucial within Athletic Bilbao's kit history as it marked the progress to a white round neck. It is the first step towards a modern design out of which international brands grew, specifically keen on manufacturing exclusive branded kits for each team.
1981 - Present: Era of Sports Brands
In the 1981/82 season, Athletic Club's kits featured the adidas logo for the first time ever and this marked the commercialization of kits as we know them today.
Since 2007, Athletic Club receives a new set of kits each year, while brands started to begin differentiating away & third kits as well as making special-edition kits. Nevertheless, the club also profited heavily in financial terms from agreeing sponsorship deals.
Do you like that Athletic Bilbao is giving a look behind the curtain with this unique kit history? How would your perfect football kit look like? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.