The 2023-24 version also bears a few modern flourishes, such as shimmering iridescent gold used for the crest and manufacturer’s marque. The cut of the shirt is a little more streamlined (unlike the baggier style favoured in the mid-90s) and the fabric has also been infused with a grid-like ripple weave that lends it a suitably modern look.
Midfield duo Di Matteo and Wise, who also helped Chelsea win the FA Cup twice, the Charity Shield and the UEFA Super Cup between 1997 and 2000, joined some of the club’s star players of today to launch the new kit.
Di Matteo also scored in both of those FA Cup finals and the League Cup triumph, before leading the club to Champions League glory as their caretaker manager in 2012. He was given the job full-time, but only made it to November of that year before being fired. Still, it’s good that a decade on he can still return to the club and be hailed as a legend.
Observant fans may also notice that Chelsea have presented their new home kit without a sponsor’s logo on the front. This is because the club are yet to strike a deal with any new primary sponsor for the 2023-24 season after their previous deal with mobile phone network Three came to an end last month.
The Blues had reportedly agreed a contract with streaming service Paramount+, who already sponsor last season’s Champions League finalists Inter Milan, to take over as their new shirt sponsor. However, the deal was vetoed by the Premier League as they felt it might upset other overseas Premier League broadcast rights holders.
