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Product Reviews Real Madrid

Review: Real Madrid away jersey 12-13

Review: Real Madrid away jersey 12-13

By Rafael Valverde, Queens, NYC, USA

After a historic record-breaking season that ended with winning the La Liga title, Real Madrid returns to defend that title on this, their 110th anniversary. Adidas faced pressure in designing a quality away shirt to commemorate the occasion; I feel they have delivered.

 

Real Madrid ude trøje 12-13

 

Appearance

 

The official color-way of the 2012-2013 Real Madrid away shirt is Nobile-Ink/Electricity. Nobile-Ink is a purple hue that is reminiscent of navy in certain lighting. It is the same color used in the accents of the 2012-2013 Real Madrid Home shirt. Electricity is a bright neon green color that brings life to the shirt in small doses through the piping on the shoulder and the stitched Adidas logo on the right chest. The two colors combine for a superb contrast that captures attention. I feel that Nobile-Ink serves as a traditional Real Madrid color while Electricity brings modern excitement. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical when the initial pictures of the shirt were released. However, after seeing it on the field and live in person… It has become a favorite of mine.

 

Performance

 

The shirt material is 100% polyester pique. Adidas CLIMACOOL technology refers to the combination of open mesh, performance fabrics and strategically placed ventilation panels. Specialized ventilation panels are placed in areas such as under the arms and body sides to help whisk away sweat. The intention is to combat heat so that you remain dry, cool and comfortable even in the height of athletic competition. Raglan sleeves provide a flattering fit while still offering complete freedom to the arms. The neck opening is crewneck style with partially ribbed collar. I found the overall fit of the jersey to be “true-to-size.” If your intention is to be active in this shirt, you will be completely pleased with the performance.

 

 

Details

 

The Real Madrid badge is beautifully stitched on the left chest. The crest embroidery is quality. The Adidas logo is stitched on the right chest.

 

Real Madrid klublogo

 

Primary club sponsor, bwin is screened on the mid-chest of the shirt.

 

Vertical stripes are featured on the body of the shirt but can only be seen up close.

 

The LFP badge, (La Liga de Fútbol Profesional) is stitched on the right sleeve.

 

LFP ærmemærke

 

My personal favorite design detail of this shirt is the “110 anos” (110 years) logo on the left sleeve, which commemorates 110 years (1902-2012) of history for the club. It’s a significant and unique detail that will make this shirt feel special for years to come.

 

Real Madrid logo 110 anos

 

Printing

 

The official printing color is white and this does well to balance the shirt. Although white is often considered plain, the printing features subtle details to remain interesting. The Real Madrid logo is once again featured at the bottom of each number. Soft grey horizontal lines are present on each number and letter of printing. These details can be difficult to see from distance but are well appreciated up close. The numbers appear clean and sophisticated. Lastly, I really like the neat name font.

 

RM ude tryk Alonso 14

 

Conclusion

 

Adidas has done a fine job designing and producing the Real Madrid away shirt for the 12/13 season. The end product is a shirt that is well made and visually pleasing. The color contrast of the away jersey is beautiful, something that is much more appreciated in person. Classy details throughout the shirt and printing provide the finishing touch. Hala Madrid!

 

Of course, the 2012-2013 Adidas Real Madrid Away jersey and official Real Madrid player printing are now available at mmsports.com

 

 

Categories
Real Madrid

Review: Real Madrid home jersey 12-13

Real Madrid home jersey 2012-13 review

By Julian Smith, Lisbon, Portugal.

What a year Madrid have had… Los Blancos were finally able to snatch the La Liga title from the recent dominance of Barcelona claiming the honor for the 32nd time, amassing an incredible 100 points and 121 goals (+89 GD). Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo had arguably his best year in Madrid, scoring 46 goals in La Liga and a blistering 60 goals in all competitions. While they crashed out of the Champions League on penalties, Fiorentino Perez, Mourinho, and co must be happy with their overall performance. Having completed a season in such style, it’s no surprise that their 2012-13 home kit is just as classy.

The Shirt

Real Madrid home jersey 12-13

The 2012-13 Real Madrid home kit returns to the clubs royal roots with a nice combination of dark purple with turquoise lining. The new style may seem a bit odd at first glance, but it definitely grows on you and looks fantastic when worn. As always, the kit is mostly white and sports the triple stripe (the Adidas trademark) along the shoulders and down the arm.

The material is nice and soft and feels fantastic to the touch (unlike Nike’s shirts before Euro 2012). Still the standard 100% polyester seen in most replica shirts these days, it is comparable to other Adidas shirts worn in recent years.

 

Real Madrid home jersey arm

 

*Note: Shirt being worn is a medium, wearer is 6’1” and 160 pounds (1.85m, 72.5 kg)

The neck and armholes are reinforced with a double lining of the same material and weigh the shirt down a bit to reinforce the structure of the shirt on the body. An important point to mention is this double lining actually gives the arms a more fitted wear, so if you extend your arm outward the sleeve will stay up, as seen in the above pictures. 

 

Real Madrid home jersey 12-13 collar

 

Adidas opted for the flat collar as opposed to last year’s protruding collar. The divergence allows for the cool royal accenting, and now you don’t have to worry about making sure the normally flimsy protruding collar is always in place when you’re wearing it. 

 

Real Madrid home jersey LFP badge

 

The Clima Cool technology this year is incorporated in the vents placed under both arm pits.

 

Real Madrid garment

 

An interesting detail to note that is not so visible in pictures is the silver pinstripes running along the front of the shirt. The accent adds an extra bit of flair and, again, helps give the shirt a better structural look when worn.

Details

The replica shirt features the standard embroidered La Liga logo on the right arm and the plastic “bwin” logo used since the 2007-08 seasons. Real Madrid and Adidas have made to huge improvements this year, though, which I would like to highlight.

 

Real Madrid old logoReal Madrid new logo 12-13
Old Crest                                                                                          New Crest

A very disappointing aspect of last year’s shirt was the club crest. While the shirt itself looks great the plastic, almost fake, looking badge is kind of a bummer. This year, the badge is embroidered and stitched into the fabric, giving the shirt a much better and authentic look.

 

Real Madrid 110 anos logo

 

An addition to this year’s shirt is the “110 anos” (110 years) badge on the left arm. This neat detail commemorates the clubs 110th year as an official club since its original founding in 1902 as Madrid Football Club. Fun fact: the club only became Real Madrid (which translates to Royal Madrid) in 1920 when King Alfonso XIII dubbed them so and placed the crown on top of the club crest.

 

Printing

The official Real Madrid printing for the season 12/13.

Real Madrid printing 12-13

This year’s print style is probably one of my least favorite aspects of Madrid’s 2012-13 shirt. The two-tone number, in my opinion, doesn’t really fit so well with the rest of the shirts color palate, and the combination of the edged and curvy lines looks a bit awkward. 

 

RM printing close up

 

As seen in the above picture, the printing accent color and the shirt accent color are not the same. Perhaps if Adidas and Madrid had brightened the print accent color and not made it so prominent it would have looked better… 

Conclusion

 

Real Madrid home jersey 12-13 score

 

All in all, the shirt looks and feels great. Personalizing takes a bit away from the shirts stylishness, but that certainly won’t deter a true fan.

Categories
Inter Product Reviews

Review: Inter away jersey 2010-11

 THE 2010/2011 NIKE F.C. INTERNAZIONALE MILANO AWAY JERSEY

 

Inter away jersey 10-11

 

 

Nike’s Inter Milan away jersey for the 2010-2011 season is a piece of fan wear that is not only a great addition to your jersey collection – but one which you can wear about with comfort and confidence.

 

This Nike jersey features the unique details that we’ve come to expect from Internazionale away kits and then some – the snake design along the side of the shirt is intricate and interesting, yet light and airy and will not weigh you down.

 

Inter away jersey Scudetto + logo

 

 

With or without the name and number kit, the shirt has appeal – but to those looking for a shirt with less maintenance that can be worn without concern of ruining a prized collector piece, the Inter away jersey breaks the mould.

 

 

Inter away jersey sponsor logo

 

The material is light and athletic with a unique “dimple effect” dry-fit material that will keep you comfortable – quality construction can be seen throughout as we would expect from any officially licensed Nike product.

 

Show your team’s colors without feeling restricted. 

 

 

Inter away jersey Nike authenticity badge

 

 

Now if you’re thinking -‘why would I purchase LAST year’s away jersey’- consider the pros.


It is a unique shirt that stands out from the standard or stereotypical Inter away jersey. This shirt is more than just a black and blue strip on white background. It stands out from the pack and holds its place in a line of great Inter kits.

 

Inter away kit full size

 

 

 What’s more is that you won’t have to break the bank to get this shirt. Being an (unconventional) away jersey, you’ll find it at reasonable prices and in a range of sizes to fit your needs.

 

 Ever want to buy an Inter or calcio jersey for a friend or relative, but don’t want to overspend or -worse- get them the jersey of a player they hate -like Zarate for instance? This stock away jersey will definitely get the job done for you.

 

 

Inter away kit 10-11 the snake


 


It can also be easily dressed up. The official kit for the 2010-2011 season comes with iron-on scudetto patch included, so if you decide you want YOUR away shirt to be a little fancier than the pack, have it quickly and professionally applied at a sporting store for less than $5US – affordable!

 

Inter away kit 10-11 side

 


The best part is, if you’ve worn your shirt around, made some friends (or enemies) because of it and decide you’d like to retire it – you can also have name + number applied by purchasing the kit from a reputable vendor, so that option always remains.

For someone in the market for a unique Italian football jersey who might have an interest in a more casual piece for leisure wear, the 2010-2011 away kit will fit the role like Wesley Sneijder sitting in the hole behind his strikers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
FC Bayern Product Reviews

Review: FC Bayern DVD and CD

Review: FC Bayern Munich DVD and CD musical 

by MM Sports’ FC Bayern ambassador Ben Roden

 

 

Do you ever feel like today’s footballing world has passed you by? Are you strung out on eye-pokes and “El Clasicos?” Has Chelsea’s latest game of managerial musical chairs left you feeling empty? If you yearn for a simpler time, Miniver Cheevy, fear not – I have in my hand the passport to the glorious past.  Unwrap your FC Bayern DoublePack, close your eyes, and journey with me to 2007 – a legendary realm in which Fernando Torres could still score goals.  In this mystical era, Fernando Allianz Arena has the shine of a freshly unwrapped Christmas present, Bastian Schweinsteiger’s hair has the shine of an over-eager dye-job, and Oliver Kahn rules Bayern Munich’s  penalty box with iron fists and maniacal outbursts. Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose batter Bundesliga defenses, and Franck Ribery has just arrived in Bavaria, ready to punish opponents with his amazing skill and horrifying visage.

2007 was truly a year of hope and promise for Bayern.  With questions being raised over the winning credentials of Bayern’s current squad, it’s satisfying to reminisce about times when FC Hollywood could seemingly do no wrong.

 

Der FC Bayern Doppelpack lets you pine for victories past with both a DVD and Audio CD.

Video segments include a highlight reel from the 06/07 season, a tribute to the career of Mehmet Scholl, and an Allianz Arena guided tour with Bastian Schweinsteiger (who manages to match his scarf with his Converse All-Stars…very chic.) Each of these segments is interesting enough, but the amount of content is disappointing. The entire season highlight reel, for example, is only three minutes long.  This lack of content and the lackluster interface make the DVD feel hastily assembled. The disc would have benefited from a bit more polish in terms of presentation, as well as a few more segments – a season review would have been a particularly welcome addition.

 

The audio portion has a bit less appeal. I was hoping for some fan chants, or perhaps an example of the spectacular call-and-answer interactions between the announcer and Allianz crowds (“DANKE!” “BITTE!)

Instead, the CD is a collection of Bayern-themed rock songs. I’m sure these tracks would be great for a little rabble-rousing  en-route to the match, but they don’t hold up all that well for the solo listener.

There are some fun moments, particularly in Die Prinzen’s tribute to Oli Kahn, but on the whole the audio is a bit of a disappointment.

 

The 2007 FC Bayern Doublepack is a definitely a fun and quirky piece, but one for which the audience is probably quite small.  This is definitely a product for the hard-core supporter. While 2007 isn’t too far in the past, the footballing world moves quite quickly – as such, new-comers to Bayern fandom my struggle to find familiar faces.  For those of us who have been with FC Bayern for years, it’s fun to look back to see where Rekordmeister has been in recent years, and to find hope for similar successes in the future.

 

 

 

 

Categories
Product Reviews Real Madrid

Review: Real Madrid home jersey 2011/12

Review: Real Madrid Home Jersey 2011-12

By the MM Sports Ambassador Sean Moran

The Real Madrid Home 2011-12 team jersey features a sleek simplistic design.  The climacool technology that Adidas has used on this jersey works well in all conditions whether games, training, or leisure.  The mesh underarm design allows for optimal cooling.   This 100% polyester jersey features the embossed team crest on the upper right chest, and the Adidas logo stitched on the left front chest. The front screen-prints features the team sponsor (bwin) who has consistently maintained sponsorship for Real Madrid over the last several years.

Real Madrid home jersey 11-12 sponsor logo

 

Also stitched on is the league patch on the right arm.  

Real Madrid home jersey 11-12 LFP sleeve badge

 

   This jersey features the teams initials (RM) embossed into the collar and its name (Real Madrid) into the collar and its name (Real Madrid) on the inside of the collar seaming.

Real Madrid home jersey should stripes Real Madrid collar look

This white game jersey with gold accent trims on the collar, arm trim and around the underarm mesh adds to the sophisticated look to this sleek polo.

Real Madrid jersey side fabric

 

  The bottom right front displays the Adidas authentic mark, while the left bottom displays the screen-print climacool logo.

Real Madrid jersey adidas authentic mark Real Madrid jersey clima cool logo

 

 Name & Number kit:

 

Also, the screen-printed back features your favorite player name and number. Also found on the bottom of the players number is the teams crest.

Real Madrid home kit Özil 10 Real Madrid logos engraved in numbers

 

Final Remarks:

The sizing of this jersey is true to size, while offering a form fitting style.  The fabric is light weight with a tight weave of fabric, the under arm area is a mesh woven material to aid in moisture wicking and heat control.  The polo style collar is a loose weave of fabric.  The polo style opening provides a stylish sporty look.   The stitching of seams is tight and well done but will give with motion of the wearer.  The shirt has great style and design, while exhibits a well manufactured product. 

Overall this is a well-made jersey that any team supporter would be proud to wear to publically display their enthusiastic spirit.

 

 Sean Moran

New York/ August 11, 2011

 

 

See the official Real Madrid promotional video of the jersey here: