Vertonghen's captain's armbands are unique

Clubs can choose from several ways to honor a player's achievement of an important goal, commemorate anniversaries, and more. Usually, the preferred medium is the special kit, but this requires, in addition to a great deal of creative effort, much more time and logistical obstacles. Anderlecht, the Jupiler League's most emblazoned club, is approaching an alternative route, making imaginative captain's armbands by making use of the creative spirit of emerging creative realities or young Belgian designers.This is a real program that began in February, when Jan Vertonghen took the field with a custom captain's armband made by Brussels-based multidisciplinary brand KSAAR. On that occasion it was the 36-year-old who wore the special armband, despite the fact that Daley Blind, Zeno Debast, Thomas Delaney, and Yari Verschaeren had also served as captain in the first part of the Belgian league season.

It was again the former Arsenal man who had the honor of wearing a new custom-made captain's armband with a cartoony aesthetic in the city derby against Racing White Daring Molenbeek, won by three goals to zero. Making it unique for this occasion was Guillaume Orban, who said he wanted to give shape and color to people's dreams using his recognizable style with the aim of communicating, at the same time, a message of equality and tolerance. Guillaume added, «I am very proud that an important club like Anderlecht included me in this initiative, it is proof that soccer is an inclusive sport and that there is room for everyone.» The project was completed through collaboration with Napoleon Sports, the leading betting organization in Belgium. The creation of ad hoc captain's armbands happens very rarely in soccer, yet it can be a particularly clever way to differentiate oneself in terms of aesthetics from other clubs. The fact that it was Anderlecht itself that initiated this initiative is even more interesting, given the fact that the club, by its use of the social color purple, has an already unique visual identity.