Japan's Júbilo Iwata Came Through With a Late Contender for Jersey of the Year
As we've discussed before, Japan just does football shirts better. The latest pearler from East Asia to land on our radar comes courtesy of J1 League newcomers Júbilo Iwata, although it's more of an intercontinental affair.
The shirt in question was designed by Admiral — England's oldest sportswear brand that enjoyed its heyday during the 1970s and '80s. Manchester United, Leeds, Tottenham Hotspur, and Rangers were just some of the British giants to sport the brand's nautical logo, but it was its wildly popular tie-up with the England national team that secured its status as royalty in the football jersey business.
It's Admiral's 1982 Three Lions effort — as made famous by two-time Ballon d'Or winner and superstar of his era Kevin Keegan — that serves as the inspiration for the new release. In addition to the sky blue home number, there's also a white away and pink and yellow goalkeeper shirts.
If we're being completely honest, it feels like there's been a bit of throwback shirt fatigue set that's set in among football fans in recent years. But this feels fresh, with the iconic, color-blocked design delivering just the right amount of retro charm. Likewise, the Yamaha sponsor is a nice wink to other classic jerseys of the era, namely the Newells Old Boys heater made famous by Diego Maradona.
We don't have a price tag or much information on the release just yet, but with Japanese football jerseys notoriously expensive and made in limited runs, we imagine this won't be too easy to secure. Stay posted for further release information.
