There is Cristiano Ronaldo's logo on the new Sporting Lisbon Third kit

Twenty years ago, on 6 August 2003, the brand new José Alvalade stadium, the home of Sporting, opened in Lisbon. The inauguration took place with a friendly match against Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, who according to anecdotes convinced him to buy an eighteen-year-old who had shone against the great United champions. Shortly afterwards Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Manchester, making that match and the moment of the inauguration of the new stadium a fundamental step for all of world football. Sporting Lisbon, in the twentieth anniversary season, decided to celebrate that moment by presenting a new Third kit that closes the triangle formed together with its own stadium and CR7. 

In fact, the swoosh of Nike, sponsor of the Portuguese, does not appear on the new Sporting shirt, but Ronaldo's personal logo, an unusual choice given that CR7 still plays and in another team, but which says a lot about how Nike wants to keep the presence of the Portuguese in European football even now that he plays in Saudi Arabia. The kit is very celebratory, with the gold sleeves contrasting with the black torso, colors also echoed in the club crest and CR7 logo. The decision to use the line of a single athlete recalls - with due comparisons - that of PSG to use Jordan, a much more established brand that shares the legendary greatness of the founders with CR7 and obviously Nike.

Sporting's unusual choice has divided the fans, between those who believe that the kit is beautiful and those who find it unfair to pay homage to Cristiano Ronaldo through his personal brand. According to some users who commented below the Instagram posts presenting the shirt, no player will ever be greater than the club, Nike may not be of this idea, in the meantime, happy birthday to the José Alvalade Stadium.

The new Third kit is available on the official Sporting Lisbona website.