What does the fabric of the Italian jersey hide?

It has been 19 years since the Italian National Team played a match in the United States, and almost 30 years since that dramatic afternoon in Pasadena. In the meantime, soccer in the USA has changed drastically, becoming one of the most popular sports, while Luciano Spalletti's team is looking for the right condition for Euro2024, where they will have to defend their continental crown. Italy will take the field at 10 PM Italian time in a friendly match against the Venezuelan selection wearing the new jersey created by adidas, making its official debut on the field. 

Both the Home and Away jerseys represent the aesthetic and visual identity of the Azzurri national team, with the Three stripes on the shoulders and sleeves colored with the Italian flag, and the embroidered phrase "L'Italia Chiamò" on the backneck. But one of the more subtle references, perhaps initially overlooked, is hidden in the blue and white that dominate the two kits. In fact, the texture of the Home jersey was created by inserting a binary code that replicates the letter i, the initial of the word Italy, into the fabric of the shirt itself. This execution is also found in the Away version, on a white base, made possible by the material chosen by adidas for the Authentic kit: Heat.Rdy.

The material was designed by adidas to provide freshness and freedom of movement to athletes through a lightweight and almost waffle structure, resulting in an irregular pattern perfect for creating designs within the jersey. The texture, on the other hand, is often the least celebrated aspect of soccer jerseys, but it is also what often makes them special. If one focuses too much on templates, colors, or designs, they may miss details that enrich and embellish the final result, which can only be judged by hands-on experience. Like the binary code inserted by adidas in the Azzurri's uniform, which we will soon see on American playing fields.