The color yellow is everywhere in Serie A
How did it become the most used color for Away and Third kits?
October 2nd, 2024
Just hours before the match against Cagliari, Parma presented its Third jersey for the 2024/25 season. As stated in the press release: "The jersey was inspired by the musical culture of Parma, where the excellence of great masters and the extraordinary abilities of thousands of professionals in the opera world have made the city's musical heritage great. The yellow and blue texture is reminiscent of a musical score, creatively inspired by Verdi's Aida, which has always accompanied the entrance of the Parma Calcio Men's First Team onto the pitch." The keyword in this passage is "yellow". Yes, because in the Serie A this year, yellow is in fashion. It is the most popular color for Away and Third jerseys, as well as for goalkeeper jerseys and details on the Home jersey.
Parma was the last team to present a yellow jersey in chronological order. Just a few days before, Atalanta had revealed a yellow third jersey to the public for the first time since 2014. The technical sponsors may change, but the trend remains the same. Nike, as part of the global narrative Together We Rise, has produced a yellow jersey for Inter that recalls the design of the 1990s. The Away jersey created by adidas for Juventus is also yellow, as well as Udinese and Lazio, which have a second yellow jersey made by Macron and Mizuno, respectively. And then there are the goalkeeper jerseys, almost all of the Serie A teams have a yellow one, either solid or with inserts. As mentioned before, there is also the issue of details. Kappa, for example, decided to abandon the traditional white for the Empoli Home jersey and use a fluorescent shade of yellow for numbers, letters, and details. The same solution was adopted by Lotto for the Monza's black third jersey. A long list of examples that certifies the fact that among the top 5 European leagues, Serie A is the league with the highest number of yellow jerseys.
A number that transcends tradition. There are only 4 teams that have yellow among their social colors (Roma, Lecce, Parma, and Verona), and among them, only Parma has a solid yellow jersey. The rest of the list includes teams that have adapted to commercial and regulatory dictates. Each team needs a kit that is completely or almost completely different from its social colors, so that it can use a combination that does not create a chromatic contrast with the opponent. The most common option is a solid black jersey, so that socks and shorts can also be reused if necessary. But for those who already have black in their Home jersey, it risks becoming a duplication. Starting from the 2022/23 season, it is forbidden for movement players to wear a green jersey. Pink and purple are a risk, while red and orange are a gamble that doesn't always pay off. Yellow, in this sense, represents a great compromise: it is a common color in football but not so widespread, it is traditional but at the same time can be innovative, the ideal solution to please fans and comply with regulations.