UEFA blocks green retro shirt, the Oranje gets black duel

Germany will play against the Netherlands on Thursday evening at 20:45 in the Johan Cruijff Arena, but UEFA has banned the planned green retro shirt, meaning the team will appear in a black kit while Orange will wear the familiar orange home shirt.

Green retro shirt as tribute

The German association had earlier this week presented images of a green away shirt, specially designed for the match against Orange. The shirt is a direct reference to the kit with which West Germany became world champion in 1990. It was intended as a tribute to that historic title. The shirt would have been worn in the Johan Cruijff Arena.

UEFA rejects shirt

UEFA, however, has not granted permission to wear the retro shirt, because it does not comply with the Kit Regulations. According to several German media outlets, there is insufficient space on the sleeves for the mandatory Nations League logo, and no shirt number appears on the chest. These shortcomings render the shirt unusable for the match. The Kit Regulations require that the Nations League logo be clearly visible on the sleeve and that each shirt display a back number.

Black kit and coach confusion

Instead of the green shirt, the team will appear in a completely black away kit. The match takes place on Thursday 24 September at 20:45 in the Johan Cruijff Arena. While some reports speak of debutant national coach Xavi, other sources indicate that it is the first match of national coach Jürgen Klopp. The black outfit is a standard alternative colour of the German national team.

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The DFB must continue to play in the Adidas kits until 1 January, after which a switch to Nike will take place. Adidas has supplied the shirts of the German national team for 77 years. The change follows the recent kit controversy. The switch to Nike marks the end of a 77‑year partnership with Adidas.

Because the green shirt will not be worn, the previously announced tribute to the 1990 world title disappears from the streetscape during the Netherlands‑Germany match. Fans will see the game without the striking green colour. Without the green shirt, the match lacks a visual tribute that fans had expected.

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The contrast between the planned national homage and the strict UEFA rules underscores the authority of the European association over match apparel. The upcoming Nations League match will therefore take place in black and orange, without the intended retro accents. The strict enforcement highlights UEFA's influence on national symbolism in football.