The aesthetic renaissance of Serie A Are the jerseys for the 2025/26 season the most beautiful ever?

The arrival of Kevin de Bruyne at Napoli and Luka Modric at Milan has sparked a debate: is Serie A turning into an elephant graveyard? The Italian league cannot compete with the spending power and salaries of Premier League clubs or other European giants like Real Madrid and PSG. For this reason, it can now only hope to attract big stars at the tail end of their careers. A harsh blow for those who still believe Serie A has the same appeal it had in the late ’90s, when the best players in the world arrived in Italy at the peak of their careers. Today, Serie A is a stepping stone for those waiting to make the leap to more important leagues. A condition that wouldn’t even be so terrible if it weren’t for the fact that, surrounding what happens on the pitch, there is an atmosphere of absolute mediocrity. Lega Serie A, the governing body, has made the fight against piracy its main battle, while at the same time refusing to acknowledge that the graphics and broadcast production are nowhere near the level of the competition. Then there is the problem of the stadiums, a situation perfectly described by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin in view of Euro 2032: "I am not exaggerating when I say your infrastructure is terrible, something must be done by both the Government and the Municipalities." And yet, in this context of deep disappointment, the 2025/26 Serie A season could go down in history as the one with the best kits ever.

An aesthetic renaissance that allows Italian football to reclaim, at least in this field, a top position compared to other European leagues. Each team can rely on custom-made productions tailored to their needs. Home jerseys that embrace tradition without necessarily falling into the trap of nostalgia, or new patterns that break the monotony of established standards such as vertical stripes. Away jerseys that are elegant but not necessarily boring, characterized by artistic references recalling the club’s history or the city’s architectural wonders. Not to mention the importance of Third kits, often the field of questionable aesthetic experiments by technical sponsors, which instead become the canvas to offer fans everything they didn’t find in the Home or Away jerseys—whether classic designs reinterpreted in a modern key or completely new concepts that reflect the spirit of the city and its supporters. All of this is enriched by an almost obsessive attention to collars, sleeve trims, and the use of logos.

Whether produced by big brands or small labels working with just one club, the kits for the new Serie A season are stunning. And it’s not just about the jerseys. The clubs have also worked carefully on the launch campaigns accompanying the release of the new shirts: garments designed for the pitch but which, more than ever, must also meet fashion-related needs, satisfying fans’ and collectors’ desire to wear them in any context—not only at the stadium, bar, or on the couch on matchdays. The leap in production quality has been extraordinary, as well as unexpected. A return to the peaks of the ’90s, when Serie A was the league with the most beautiful kits thanks to a proliferation of geometric patterns and revolutionary templates still fondly remembered today. A new aesthetic identity that might even be fleeting, which is why it must be enjoyed and appreciated to the fullest. Predicting who will win the Scudetto, qualify for the Champions League, or get relegated is very difficult, but there is no doubt we will forever remember the 2025/26 Serie A season for its beautiful kits.