With fans voicing their criticism of the curved stripes of the 22-23 Atlético Madrid home shirt, club CEO and main shareholder, Miguel Ángel Marín, has confirmed that their home jersey for the 23-24 season will feature regular vertical stripes.
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Atlético's new home shirt was leaked months ago before being officially unveiled last week and fans quickly took to social media to complain about the irregular striped design. It is not the first offence in this regard from the club and Nike, as Atlético have had a number of alternative takes on stripes since the 17-18 season.
In an open letter, Marín apologised to the fans and explained that the curved stripes were intended to reference meanders of the Manzanes River. The river has a strong association with the history of the club, as the Estadio Vicente Calderon (originally named Estadio Manzanares) was built on its banks and served as their home ground for 51 years, from 1966 until their move to the newly-built Wanda Metropolitana in 2017.
"We apologise to fans who do not like the new jersey, our only intention was to create a reminder of our past with respect and affection."
Estadio Vicente Calderon with the Manzanares River in view.
The CEO spoke of the upcoming retro remake of the club's original 1903 home shirt, complete with original badge, in celebration of their 120th anniversary. It will be launched in April 2023.
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Regular Stripes in 23-24 and Fan Commission
His comments that will please fans the most, however, were made in regards to Los Colchoneros 23-24 home kit:
"A classic design for the 23-24 home shirt has been approved and is already in the production phase."
Aside from featuring classic stripes and being manufactured by Nike, no other information on the 23-24 home kit is available yet.
Atlético Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Marín
In a bid to avoid future discontent from the fans, a commission composed of fan representatives will be created, meaning that the supporters will be consulted and have their say in club decisions regarding kits and other similar products.
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The new home shirt has not been only source of fan complaints in recent years, as large sections of the support were unhappy about not being consulted on the introduction of the modernized club badge, which came into use in 2017. The new commission aims to prevent such occurrences from happening again.
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Will you be happy to see a more traditional striped design on Atlético's 23-24 home kit? Share your thoughts below.