The modern evolution of Kappa

It's quite normal to think of football nostalgia and vintage jerseys when you talk about Kappa: the Piedmontese brand, in fact, for years has designed the uniforms of the most prestigious clubs of the 80s and 90s, from Platini's Juventus to Van Basten's AC Milan up to Guardiola's and Ronaldo's Barcelona, ​​ending up with Italy team which reached the bitter Euro 2000 final with that unusual technology kit, the Kombat model that forever revolutionized the way of dressing game shirts. So, Kappa has remained for a long time in a top-level position in the elite of technical suppliers, maintaining solid partnerships with teams from around the world without ever abandoning its distinctive traits such as colored patterns and the famous long band on sides and shoulders that made it famous. Then it disappeared a little from the radar, also because of the increasing presence on the International scene of giants like Nike and adidas who, season after season, won the appreciation and trust of the top clubs. But Kappa has never really abandoned the scene, from which it's still one of the great protagonists.

It's also confirmed by the IQUII Sport report that we recently analyzed in an in-depth analysis went online a few days ago on our magazine: despite the entry of new 'subjects' such as PUMA and Macron, Kappa retains a place in the Top 10 of sports brands more present on the continental scene, thanks to a substantial 5.49% which seems like a small number and which instead says a lot. A figure that, considering the 40 technical suppliers present in the six best European leagues, represents a team of 13 clubs, more or less noble. One of these certainly stands out is Naples, the team with which the Turin brand has been working since 2015 and for which it has just designed the 2019/2020 home jersey, probably the last of the recent partnership destined to end soon despite the great agreement that has been created in the last seasons.

But let's go back in time to summer 2015, one of the great turning points of the last few years when Kappa has effectively strengthened his position by signing, as well as with the Neapolitan team, also with Sassuolo and Leeds United. Two authentic bets, however, turned out to be winners: the first club, small ambitious provincial just promoted in Serie A, has built its identity year after year among the top-flight teams; the second one, on the other hand, thanks to Kappa re-found its identity, returning to the crest of the wave after the difficult years between crash and reconstruction, focused on the 100 years anniversary. The three teams must be clearly added to Turin FC, the club that is sponsored by Kappa since 2008 and from which the Piedmontese brand will be separating this summer after eleven years together.

In the summer 2018, then, Kappa added another important piece to its mosaic, in reality a backfire like that of Betis Seville, the Andalusian club that had already dressed Kappa from 1996 to 2008 and that in keeping with the Italian brand has decided to open a new sports age: together they re-start after the relegation in Segunda Division, through the inauguration of the new Benito Villamarin and the creation of new mythical kits. The new Andalusian 'spring' led the team, after a great season, to an unexpected European placement and to a Europa League campaign that led Betis to challenge against AC Milan, Olympiacos, Dudelange and Rennes. Working with the green-and-white team was not the only great memories of the season for Kappa, who achieved great visibility by carrying out the project of the three retro soccer collections dedicated to his top teams (Naples, Leeds United and Betis Seville) and thanks to which has managed to best celebrate the identity of the three clubs.

The summer 2019 is once again a time of great revolutions for Kappa, who if it's true that will lose one of his leading clubs like Turin FC, will re-embrace two teams already had in the past, Genoa and AS Monaco, of which the years with the strikers' duo Henry-Trezeguet and Arsene Wenger on the bench remained unforgettable. But that's not all, as Kappa has decided to expand his horizons a lot by also signing with two South American teams like Botafogo and Union Santa Fe, which are going to increase the colony of South American clubs made up by the two Argentinian Racing and Velez Sarsfield, and with an ambitious selection protagonist into the African Cup of Nations, Tunisia. If luck has sided with Kappa in the case of Aston Villa, the historic English club that signed with the Italian brand shortly before reaching the promotion in the Premier League, the same cannot be said for the Bursaspor, which instead surprisingly is relegated to the second division of the Turkish football.

To complete the roster of the 2019/2020 season, Kappa has focused on a noble fallen of the Greek scenario, that Panathinaikos that for some years has disappeared a little from the top in its country but is ready to return. All this without forgetting the specific weight to keep at home: the agreements with Benevento and Brescia date back a few days ago: if the first club will have to face the second their again (where they will challenge another team sponsored by Kappa, Empoli), the second one has just returned to Serie A and is tied to Kappa for the next six seasons, after having dressed the Turin brand from 2003 to 2006.