Ahead of Germany’s up and coming prestige close of the year friendlies against France and the Netherlands, the new home Trikot has been revealed with the usual media fanfare. In contrast to the current version, it is something of a return to the old school classic look, good old traditional Schwarz und Weiß. All is not massively bright for the DFB however: while the world finally got to see the new kit, President Wolfgang Niersbach was clearing out his office following his resignation in the wake of the growing scandal over the hosting of the 2006 World Cup.
While this site is primarily concerned with the football on and what happens out on the pitch, I cannot avoid saying a few things about the dark cloud that currently sits over German football. The 2006 was without doubt the start of a bright new era for the Nationalmannschaft, the summer fairy tale or Sommermärchen: a tournament that has since become part of the legend that culminated in the triumph in Rio eight years later. However, stories of money changing hands and the allegation of Germany securing the right to host the 2006 tournament via corrupt means has changed all that.
The resignation of Niersbach was always likely, and the now former DFB president is being investigated along with his predecessor Theo Zwanziger, general secretary Horst Schmid and Franz Beckenbauer, who was Germany’s leading spokesman in the battle to being the tournament to Germany. Current team manager Oliver Bierhoff has been touted by some sections of the German media as a possible candidate for the top job, but was quick to quell the speculation, stating that the most important thing right now is preparing the team for next year’s Euros in France.
The Euros of course will be the stage for the Mannschaft has they join twenty-three other nations in the month-long tournament, hoping to add a fourth European crown to their four world titles. The new kit design is the arguably the perfect design for a world champion team, going back to basics with a simple round-neck design that harks back to the classic look if the early 1970s. There’s a very fine detailed design on the front, but overall this new Trikot has a clear connection to the famous shirt worn by the likes of Beckenbauer, Günter Netzer and Gerd Müller.
While the all-white ensemble worn during the last World Cup was not massively loved by a number of German fans, this new effort from Adidas should immediately have all of the traditionalists on board. As one of those traditionalists, I am really looking forward to adding this one to my collection. We see the return of the black shorts to partner the clean look of the white shirt with black trim, and to make things a little different the usual white socks make way for black. After two years of Weiß und Weiß, we are back with the Schwarz und Weiß!
Kit geeks will also spot the other big change – rather than adorning the shoulder as in so many previous versions, the three famous Adidas stripes can now be seen running up the sides of the shirt up to the armpits. The Adidas logo and national crest are both stitched in black, with the four championship stars above the eagle motif.
Emre Can, Lukas Podolski and Jonas Hector model the new classic-looking Nationaltrikot.
There are a couple of touches of Rot-Gold colour on the new shirt which also carries the gold FIFA winners shield, but this is everything the current (soon to be previous) “chevron” design is not. Clean, understated, simple. Likewise, the black shorts are equally straightforward: black with the good old three Adidas stripes in white. The black socks also follow the traditional pattern, black with three white hoops at the top, and adorned with the four championship stars in white.
In all, it’s a great look.
If the team get things off to a good start in Paris against next year’s tournament hosts, we can perhaps start to think less about what’s going on off the field. It’s time to channel some of the spirit of 1972 and 1974.