Controversial football shirts: remember historical cases involving politics

The launch of Athletic Bilbao's new shirt for the 26-27 season once again showed how football uniforms can go beyond the sporting universe and enter into political, cultural and historical debates. The Basque club printed a map of Euskal Herria, a Basque cultural territory that includes areas of Spain and France, on the back of the neck, and provoked immediate reactions in the Spanish political scene.

Right-wing parties such as PP, Vox and UPN criticized the uniform and accused the club of promoting a political vision of Basque identity. The UPN even threatened legal action against the Bilbao team. The government of Navarra, however, stated that it did not see any illegality in the use of the symbol, highlighting that Athletic is a private entity.

The controversy put the relationship between football, regional identity and political symbols back on the agenda. And Athletic's case is far from isolated. Over the years, clubs and national teams have faced diplomatic crises, ideological accusations and even punishments due to shirts and graphic elements used on uniforms.

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Fiorentina and the "swastika shirt"
One of the best-known episodes happened with Fiorentina in the 92-93 season. The reserve uniform produced by Lotto featured geometric shapes on the chest that, aligned side by side, created a design similar to the swastika associated with Nazism.

Initially, the shirt seemed to just follow the bold pattern of the 1990s, with purple gradient, geometric details and sponsorship from 7UP. But it only took a few games for fans and the press to notice the visual association.

Fiorentina and Lotto released a statement stating that the effect was an optical coincidence, but the negative repercussion led the club to immediately abandon the uniform. The remaining pieces were collected and some were burned by fans.

Top Cifras

Toque agora.

1 Nuvem Negra Djavan

2 Ainda te amo Banda Calypso

3 I Love You Billie Eilish

4 Eu Não Tô Dizendo Tchau Wesley Safadão

On the field, the season ended in a melancholy way for the Italian team, who ended up relegated despite having Gabriel Batistuta in the squad.

Fiorentina had a pattern that formed swastikas on the uniform - Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images
Germany changed fonts after association with Nazism
Decades later, the German Football Federation faced a similar situation when it needed to change the typography of the team's numbers for the European Championship. The number 44 generated criticism for visually resembling the acronym "SS", linked to the Nazi troops responsible for crimes during the Second World War.

The entity stated that the similarity had not been noticed during the creation of the uniform developed by Adidas. Following the repercussions, the brand temporarily suspended the customization of shirts in its official store.

Germany National Team Shirt - Reproduction / Adidas
Spain and the uniform associated with the Republic
The Spanish national team also experienced a strong controversy before the 2018 World Cup. The uniform designed by Adidas had blue details that, seen from a distance, appeared purple, reminiscent of the flag of the Second Spanish Republic.

The theme gained strength amid political tensions involving separatist movements and debates about monarchy in the country. The official shirt presentation event was canceled due to the repercussions.

The supplier denied any political intention and stated that the design was inspired by the uniform used by Spain in the 1994 World Cup.

Color in the Spanish National Team's uniforms caused controversy - Disclosure
Territorial dispute turned into a legal case in Africa
In 2024, RS Berkane was involved in one of the most tense recent cases involving uniforms. The Moroccan team wore a shirt with a map that included Western Sahara as part of Morocco.

The issue is the subject of historic dispute in North Africa and generated a strong reaction from Algeria during the African Confederation Cup.

Algerian authorities confiscated the club's uniforms, matches were canceled and the case ended up being taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Berkane included the territory of Western Sahara on the uniform - @RSBfootball/X
Palestinian and the map of historic Palestine
Another club frequently involved in political debates is Palestino. In 2014, the Chilean team was punished after replacing the number 1 on their uniform with a map of historic Palestine.

The discussion reappeared in 2026, when the club launched a shirt again featuring symbols linked to the Palestinian territory before the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. The Israeli ambassador to Chile harshly criticized the uniform and stated that the design ignored the existence of Israel. It is worth mentioning that Chile has the largest community of Palestinians outside the Middle East.

Detail of the map was "hidden" in the number one on the players' shirts - Guido Manuilo/LatinContent via Getty Images
Ukraine angered Russia before the Euros
The Ukraine team's shirt for Euro 2020 also became a diplomatic topic. The uniform showed the map of the country including Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, as well as the slogan "Glory to Ukraine".

Russian authorities classified the design as a political provocation and criticized both the map and the patriotic slogans on the shirt. UEFA, however, officially approved the uniform.

Ukraine shirt angered the Russians - Reproduction
Barcelona and the Catalan armband
Not even armbands escaped political discussions in European football. In 2024, new IFAB rules determined that captains must use single-color belts, unless specifically authorized by the competitions.

The change affected Barcelona, who traditionally wore an armband with the "senyera", the Catalan flag. After controversy, the club obtained authorization from LaLiga to maintain the regional symbol.

Barcelona captain's armband - Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Corinthians launches uniforms inspired by the 1976 invasion; see photos

Source: CNN