The black on T-shirts of national teams

Last update 14 February, 2014 by Julio Muñoz

Spain has surprised many fans of the world of soccer by presenting what will be the second kit for the World Cup in Brazil 2014. This will be black for the most part with yellow flashes. A total makeover for the second baggage that introduces Red to a new color, unprecedented in its history.

While black is common in many soccer teams (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United y City, Bayern or Juve have taken it) it is not so much in national teams, accustomed to wearing representative colors of their flag. However, not for that reason have there been important selections that have led, some with political significance.

The most emblematic case is that of Italy which in 1935 adopted black as the official color, replacing blue, color with which she also became world champion in France 1938. The reason responded to a request from Benito Mussolini who in this way paid tribute to his Camicie Nere, los “black shirts”, that it was the paramilitary force that Mussolini relied on to exercise violence in his seizure of power and that later, already with him as Duce, assumed the character of an official defensive element.

Italy was world champion in black and never used it again but other teams have followed suit, although as a second kit. Mexico disputed the World Cup in South Africa 2010 wearing a second black uniform, something that did not go wrong, It turned out to be one of the best-selling in all of North America.

That same wake followed Holland, that in the European Championship of 2012 wore a stylish black with touches “orange” to tile your second image. Germany has also played in black recently, in this case, contributing a small tribute to one of the three colors of its flag. However, that color did not help him win any championship.

Sweden and Portugal were the last teams to play in black. So we have seen two world cracks like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Cristiano Ronaldo himself play completely in black representing their nations. Even, Brazil has opened a black alternative kit (which will not be used in official matches) for the World Cup next summer.

Black has always been a color associated with seriousness, rigor and opacity, something that differentiated the Black Spider, always so restrained in his interventions. Exactly the opposite of the great references of this color, los “All Black”. And is that if someone represents joy, it's the black from New Zealand. Those things have life.