The Liverpool jacket inspired by an Italian national team's jacket

All European leagues and competitions have come to an end, kicking off the usual celebratory parades: it's not just the fans who flood the streets and put on a show—often, it's the players themselves who steal the spotlight, one way or another. Even at the close of this season, many players were seen showing off their sunglasses: from Lamine Yamal to Désiré Doué, and including Destiny Udogie, Trevoh Chalobah, and Michael Olise.

At the same time, there was no shortage of more subtle details—the kind that go unnoticed by the untrained eye. Among the Liverpool players, for instance, captain Virgil van Dijk wore a jacket inspired by that of the Italian national team during Euro 1996. A minimalist design, marked by a bold stripe across the chest, highlighting an oversized Swoosh and the club's crest—just like that iconic jacket worn, among others, by Francesco Totti, Gianluigi Buffon, and coach Cesare Maldini during a historic tournament in which many game rules were changed, including the introduction of the golden goal.

The jacket seen on Van Dijk, made by Nike and clearly inspired by the 1996 Italian design, is not a new item made specifically for Liverpool. Instead, it's an older piece dating back to the 2021/22 season, which the Dutch defender chose to pull from his wardrobe and wear at such a meaningful moment in both the season and his career. After all, it would be unlikely for Nike to have designed a special garment to celebrate the end of Liverpool's season, given the imminent switch to adidas, which will revolutionize the club's look starting from the 2025/26 season.