Stripes, Eagles, Origins…
By: Chris Paraskevas | August 6th, 2008Just a glance at the back (that’s all they’ve shown to us…) of the recently unveiled AEK jerseys stirs up romantic sentiments about the soul of football being drained away by sponsors, templates and three-striped logos…
PLEASE GIVE THE JERSEY BACK TO THE FANS!
I have longed to see AEK in what should be their famous black-and-yellow striped jerseys, a jersey which should strike fear into the hearts of approaching opposition. The obvious combination of black and yellow is from what I understand, a tribute to the migrant origins of the club – possibly THE fundamental aspect of its character and one which distinguishes it particularly from the other two Athenian “clubs”.
The unique Kappa design during the 90s didn’t strictly use the stripes model but was a beautiful and appropriate design nonetheless, perhaps even surpassing the club’s original jersey synonymous with its birth in 1924 (how often can you pinpoint a true evolution of the jersey in modern football): you don’t get much more Byzantine then an emblazoned, pitch-black double-headed eagle against gold cotton?
The new jerseys just don’t scream AEK!, which is what they should do – it is what they must do. It is a passionate club, a loud club, a unique club. Its jersey is like no other in Greece or indeed, the world, a reflection of its fans, origins and philosophies. Give back to AEK the jersey, and you give back to the club a part of herself…
Consider the comments by some of the players involved in the unveiling of the new strip, with regards to the significance of the AEK jersey:
Rikka: “I’m extremely happy to be able to wear this jersey…the last two-and-a-half years that I’ve been in Greece, I’ve come to understand just what this jersey means and just how much more it means to its fans. I understood it when I played against AEK, when their fans filled my former team’s stadium – that of Xanthi. I understood it when I went back to my island, and I saw how much it meant to some of my friends who were AEK fans. I am therefore, extremely proud to be able to wear the jersey and to tell you the truth, I didn’t think it was going to happen so quickly. Now I’m going to give everything for the jersey, I’m going to honour it for as long as I play in it, I’m going to work very hard because in order to wear this jersey, you need to be strong and play well.”
Burns: “It is a great honour for a player to wear the black and yellow jersey in front of 60,000 fans…When I signed with the club, they give me a jersey which I took with me. AEK fans from Melbourne then traveled to Greece, just to get a picture of me with the AEK jersey. I then realized how many fans there were everywhere.”
*Photos from www.aekfc.gr
Category: AEK Athens Team News
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