We all know the Italians love to cook and the rest of the world loves to eat their cuisine, but some things should remain in the kitchen. Most notably, their latest Euro 2020 off-field formal attire, which despite being designed by Giorgio Armani, has left Italian fans unimpressed, suggesting that they look like chefs as opposed to professional footballers.
Euro 2020 home kits vs. away kits: Which are better? Click here.
Giorgio Armani had combined a pale blue mandarin-collared blazer with seersucker cotton to honour legendary coach Enzo Bearzot, the man who helped Italy win the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
The man himself, Mr. Armani, is a die-hard Inter Milan fan and has been crafting masterpiece kits for professional teams such as Chelsea and Bayern Munich for many years. Football icons such as David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Fabio Cannavaro, Luís Figo and Andriy Shevchenko have also been styled by Armani.
“I am proud to dress our national team at this time of general restart, and for such an important championship. I worked on an idea of elegance that is spontaneous, sporty and authentic. I created a suit that is light but dignified, as dignified and proud as our spirit should be at this time.”
Even if the thought behind the design was meant to generate a sense of pride within passionate Italian fans, some of them took to social media to comment that the design was “unsightly” and “horrendous”.
Italy aren’t the only team that have their kits supplied by a luxury brand. England get their suits from high streel retailer Marks & Spencer, while Hugo Boss have designed formal attire for Germany in the past as well as kits for Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, FC Bayern and Tottenham Hotspur.
Don’t miss the Italians sporting this attire when they enter the stadium to face off against Turkey when the Euros kick off this Thursday, June 11.
Esquire now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Esquire Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @esquiremiddleeast Instagram and Twitter account.
