Most football fans will get overly defensive about their team’s quality on and off the pitch, so much so that they’ll find themselves banging the drum for all manner of things.
You’ll argue your team’s mediocre players deserve a place in the national side, you’ll claim your team’s away kit is better than the others in the league, and you might even find yourself defending a bizarre new badge in the face of widespread laughter.
Normally it’s a blend of tribalism and plain lying, but fans of 11-time Swedish champions AIK might actually be in the right when they claim their kit is the best of the bunch.
The historic club will play in Europe for the fifth straight season after finishing second to Malmö in the 2017 campaign, and they’ll do so in this delightful retro strip.
AIK are returning to their roots with the new kit, which is reminiscent of the one in which they won the Swedish title back in 1901, the 10th anniversary of the club’s formation.
It was the club’s first black kit, having been preceded by light or white ones, but became the go-to dominant home shirt colour thereafter.
While you can’t quite see it in the image above, it’s not just all-black but rather black-on-black, with the club’s initials, badge and Nike swoosh all far more subtle than on previous editions.
Naturally, it was hugely popular with fans. So much so that, according to Football Shirt Collective, AIK’s site crashed under the weight of supporters rushing to get their hands on one.
The shirt will be available from the AIK store for SEK995, or roughly £88, but it’s just part of a wider ‘Black Pack’ collection.
It is currently out of stock, which is unsurprising given the unexpected rush immediately upon release, but we’re hoping they make another batch available sooner rather than later.
There will also be T-shirts, hoodies and other items, with prices starting at around £22 for children and £26 for adults.
(Images: Rex)
