Umbro, a football icon

Once again, just once, would be great to see a team, a national team would be better, winning some relevant trophy, seeing its captain who raises that trophy, with the most romantic and iconic brand in the soccer history stitched on his chest: Umbro. Once again, at least. It could draw in our minds and memories some English soccer afternoons, with the pouring rain and the muddy ground, before someone invented those green and tough field, where the water cannot create any kind of issue.

Matches where the shirts were confused with each other due to the mud and dirt, because of the slides and falling. And the game is becoming a fight, while the weariness is growing, and the Brian Clough icon, and his Leeds, were the only possible thought. In those days a double and horizontal rhombus made the soccer history. But the same image is talking about other sets, golden beaches, blinding and everlasting sun. Libertadores Cup, exclusive pentacampeon name; the fourth soccer world cup won in 1994, tied to a brand, without the double rhombus as well. Humphrey brothers founded the Humphrey Brothers Clothing in 1920, but the five underlined letters became necessarily the brand elements. A Brand that made the soccer history. And it needed just 14 years, and a team, the Manchester City, winning the FA cup dressing Umbro. 

Since that moment the bond with the soccer teams in United Kingdom has been strong, becoming famous and iconic in other countries too. Italy, Brazil, iced Russia, all-out soccer homeland Holland, have been places where many teams chose Umbro icon. The first brand that settled on soccer ideas and symbols, and the way they communicate to people. So, there are a lot of historical moments, many main characters clothed by your ideas: 

Manchester Utd, nineties

Cantona fitted most of them, turning up his neck. The red of Manchester has always been so famous, even about style choices. This is one of the most iconic and famous in its history. We might live again our childhood with Robin Hood into Sherwood while Little John is encouraging us to take the beer jug. 

Northern Irland, sixties

The fifth Beatles, many people have been named like this, but it was perfect in the way it explained George Best, Who remains an artist, even if crazy, in soccer view. Not a player, an artist. He dressed a strong deep green shirt, with white neck and cuff, playing with his North Ireland. 

Brazil, '94

Fourth time is unforgettable, especially if you become the only national team winning four times the soccer World Cup. Romario fitted the 11 number shirt. He was venerated for a long time in Brazil. Most of the people wanted him in national team even when he was forty, but 56 goals in 70 matches is not a few. Here we don’t have the double rhombus, but a world cup raises to the sky and an unbelievable team – as often about Brazil. 

Ajax, nineties

All-out soccer has been a revolution, before Spanish ideas and innovations. Oranges, even today, asking – being right – a World Cup, and they should get it, especially as a symbol. The way to play soccer has changed deeply since Johan Cruijff and his teammates decided to transform it. Easier said than done, since that moment all the dutch teams yielded talented players, stylish, clothes and wonderful soccer. In nineties Ajax – its shirt has always been the best style and sports recap – chose the double rhombus. 

New York Cosmos, seventies

The man in the picture played just two friendly games into NY Cosmos – the team won a lot of cups with some soccer heroes – Pelè, Beckenbauer, just saying. But we don’t care about the championships (not so competitive, don’t be angry). It was as those cultural experiments – a kind of Traveling Wilburys superband, heading to the defect because of there is too much perfection – that give us a cultural gift, as the shirt Cruijff is clothing up in the picture, with the Jamaican brightness neck, where our lovely double rhombus is hiding white on white. 

Time will go on, and so the players, teams, trophies. Soccer machine is going to carry on, but the icon is what remain. That’s we’ll never forget.