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Austria Puma just released a new kit that many of their sponsored national teams will wear. From everyone I have seen thus far I really like the design. Austria is one of those teams and decided to go with a solid black kit for their Away matches during the Euro 2008. Let’s start with what I do not like about this kit, because there is not much. It does not have anything truely spectacular and different. That is all I could find. What I do like about the kit is the solid black makes it look sharp and clean. Add a touch of gold to the bottom of the sleeves, a collar, the Puma logo under the Austria Badge and the final touch that is truely a nice feature. The Austrian colors in the center of the neck line. This is a great touch that Puma has been putting on all their national team kits, and I like it. Might have to pick one of these up for myself! I am giving this one the rare 5 out of 5 stars. It might just be a perfect kit! Croatia Croatia skated their way into the Euro 2008 with literal ease. So why play so hard against England? Because that is Croatia’s way of doing business. This is not a blog about how England faultered, or Croatia is a better team, this is about kits. So let us look at Croatia’s home kit that they will wear for the Euro 2008. Barring any change in plans, the Croats will take the pitch in a traditional red and white checkerd kit. This has become the standard for Croatia as it matches the badge and flag of the country. It is kits like this that make a country proud of their team. Taking the badge of the country and incorporating it into the kit is a classy move for a classy nation. However I do not like the amount of red and white checkers on the kit. You could have done the same in a smaller space and made it look much better. So for their home kit I will give the Croats a 3 out of 5. I like the design, just not on the entire kit. Czech During the 2006 World Cup, the Czech Republic made a strong case that they are one of the elite powers in the world. I expect nothing less from their effort during the Euro 2008. When they take the pitch as the home team, they will do in a stunning red kit manufactured by Puma. What makes this kit nice is the touch of blue around the sleeves and the back as well as the Czech Republic crest on the left chest. All add a nice touch, but what really makes this top stand out is the shadow of one of the Lion’s from the crest on the front of the jersey. This is a nice touch and really makes the kit stand apart, and with no sponsor logo to cover it, the lion can stand out for all to see. Nice touch by the Puma people to add a touch of class for a classy group of players. This kit deserves a 4 out of 5 stars. France France has released a special kit that will be worn for the Euro 2008 with a new home kit to be released after the tournament. France has long been known for the great looking and stylish kits, and what they will wear on the pitch for the tournament is no dissapointment by any means. Utlizing the solid field of blue that has become a staple with the French team, Adidas added a red, white and blue collar along with the stripes down the sleeves. This adds a nice touch and really brings out the French National colors. Another nice touch is the red and blue markings on the front of the kit, gives it just a touch of flare in an otherwise simplistic kit. One interesting feature is the new FFF logo. Officials changed from the traditional to a more modern look of the logo. I like the new logo and the new kit. This deserves 4 out of 5 stars. Germany In the last month, the German officials released a new kit to be worn at all home matches until 2009. This will obviously include the Euro 2008 tournament. I will say that I have seen better kits from the Germans, but this one is not too bad. Going with a solid field of white, Adidas took the German colors of black, yellow and red and put them into a stripe across the chest that ends on the German badge. That is the only thing I do not like about the kit, though different and original, it just does not flow very well with the kit itself. Aside from that marking it is a very simple kit with the three Adidas stripes down the sleeves and a black collar. Simplicity is key to a great looking kit, this one will get 3 out of 5 stars. Mainly because I can not get past the ugly stripe on the front, maybe it will grow on me in due time. Greece Like most of the other teams in the Euro 2008, Greece designed a new kit to be released for this tournament and future home matches. I have long been a follower of the Greece kits, and there are not too many that I do not like. Mainly because of the color scheme of white and blue…hard to go wrong with those two colors in my opinion. Going with a solid field of white for the home kit, Greece and Adidas kept this kit extremely simple and clean. With nothing more than the three stripes down the sleeves and the Adidas logo and Greece badge all in the same blue, it makes this kit really stand out. Though the orignality is low, the kit is clean and nice. It deserves 4 out of 5 stars, though some might say 3 because of the lack of flare. I stand by my firm 4 out of 5. Holland When one thinks of Holland on the pitch, the thoughts tend to veer toward a bright orange home kit that has become a staple of the Holland squad. Do not worry, that is still the standard home kit through this year and check back when Holland unveils their home kit for 2008. What many do not know is that, like everyone else, they have an Away kit that is another color. The kit that Holland will wear for their away matches in the Euro 2008 and until the 2009 campaign will be a light blue wih the Dutch badge on the left chest. What makes this kit unique is the red, white and blue stripes that go across the kit. These are the same colors that are in the badge and also the same color blue that is on the Nike logo and the front of the collar. This is a nice kit, but I do not like the color choice. As a third kit that is worn on occassion maybe, but not as a permanent away kit. I am giving this kit 3 out of 5 stars because of the color and the stripes. It just does not flow well enough for my taste. Italy World Cup Champion Italy has unveiled their 2008-09 Home Kit. This is the same home kit that will be worn for the Euro 2008 Tournament. The Italians have always had nice kits. From the days of Roberto Baggio to the present, the blue and white has always seemed to be one of the nicer kits in the world. The new away kit is by far one of my favorites, but where does this new home kit stand? Well to be completely honest with you I think it a spectacular kit. It’s simplicity is in the solid blue that is not contrasted by any more than the gold around the collar and sleeves. The gold brings out the Championship stars in the badge and makes sure you know there are now 4 stars there. Overall this kit is extremely simple and clean, but does not jump out and say I’m perfect. So for me it is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Poland Poland is one of those countries that takes a lot of pride in the football team, and expects success each time the team takes the pitch. Puma has the daunting task of making a kit that is synonomous of that pride. They pulled it off flawlessly. Taking the traditional red from the Poland crest, and not adding anything else but white piping on the sleeves and the logos, Puma has made a fantastic looking kit. The only issue with the kit that I do not like is the Puma logo under the Poland crest. Giving the fact that they have two other logos on the shoulders, I think they could have not used this one and kept it a little cleaner on the front. All in all it is a nice kit, and Poland will look great on the pitch during the Euro 2008. Do not worry about the home kit, it is the traditional white and is expected to be redone and relased next year. I’ll keep you updated when that happens. For now though, the 2007-09 away kit gets 4 out of 5 stars. Portugal Portugal has been a steady power in football for a while now, and Nike has been summoned to create a kit that they will wear for the “away” matches for the Euro 2008. I do believe this is the same Away kit that they will continue to wear after the tournament, so let’s get to it. Positioned on a solid field of white is the Portugal crest, nike logo, and…nothing. Now usually I would say that a clean kit is a great kit, but for some reason I do not like the design or flow of this particular top. Maybe it’s the green markings on the side with the red collar, I do not know for sure. But it does not seem like a world class clubs’ kit. For this I will have to give it a 3 out of 5 stars, it is simple and does not have a lot going on, but maybe it should have. Romania Romania’s home kit is another that focuses on the national colors by utilizing the burnt yellow and red throughout the kit. Red stripes down the arms show the alliance to Adidas and the national pride well. The away, also manufactured by Adidas, is a classic white with red and blue throughout. Both kits are extremely nice and well thoughtout. I will be looking for updates with better pictures as often as I can, but you can get the basics from the picture. Russia Russia made an impressive run to get into this tournament and the kits they will wear is just as impressive. The home kit is a basic white with blue touches around the collar and the sleeves. Nothing special, just a simple looking kit. The away kit adds a nice touch of nationalism as it incorporates the Russian flag across the chest with red, white and blue stripes on a solid field of red. Nike did a great job with these kits, and I’m sure the Russian players will be just as proud on the pitch. Spain Spain recently released the home kit they will wear for the Euro 2008 tournament and home matches until 2009. Fans, no need to worry about the away kit, it is set to be updated and unveiled next year. So check back here for the latest Spain away kit in the near future. On to the home kit, it is the traditional maroon that has become a standard for Spain and their home kits. What I really like about this kit is the simplicity and retro look the kit has. Manufacturer Adidas really stepped up and made a great looking kit by keeping it simple and only utilizing the Spanish Crest and the yellow stripes and piping down the sides. All in all a spectacular kit that deserves 4 out of 5 stars from me. Sweden Umbro unveiled the home kit that Sweden will wear until next year earlier in the year. What I like is that Umbro can design a great looking kit without having all the bells and whistles that many think you must have for a great looking kit. For Sweden, Umbro stuck with what has worked for years. A solid yellow kit with blue markings. Now I have always been partial to the Sweden kit, mainly because it looked like my high school kit, but never the less it is a great design. If you look at the picture below you can see a retro kit that available if you purchase a new kit through Subside Sports. There has not been much change over the years for the Sweden home kit, and I like it like that. The retro look is coming back and looks great. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars as it is a great looking kit without the bells and whistles. Switzerland Puma has become one of my favorite kit manufacturers with their newest design. When they unveiled the 2007-09 Switzerland Away kit, it was another one that looked great and had a simple yet retro design. The away kit that the Swiss will wear is solid white with red markings throughout. In such places as the underarm of the sleeves, the collar and the logos (both Puma and Switzerland), it is just enough to make the slightest pieces stand out. The only thing that I would have wanted more on the kit would have been something on the front of the collar. With this kit Puma has put the national colors in this spot, but for Switzerland they left it blank. Just think that it would have added a nice touch and could have put this kit at a perfect 5 stars, but for now it is only 4 out of 5. Not too bad. For those wondering about the home kit, it will be released next year and will continue to be the traditional red I’m sure, but check back in the near future for the unveiling. Turkey Last year Nike and Turkey unveiled a new design for their away kits. Now this is always a big deal, however this time around was more shocking than anything else as the away kit went from being the traditional red to solid white. I really like this kit because it is simple and extremely nice looking with the mix of colors. But I have no idea where the light blueish green on the collar comes from. Maybe one of you can tell me, but I know it does not match the National colors of Turkey so I’m lost as to where it came from. On a side note it looks great on this kit with the contrast of white and the Turkey National Flag on the left chest. Overall a great looking kit that deserves 4 out of 5 stars. Great work Nike and Turkey.
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