If you are in your fashion, there is nothing like getting a fit.
Fitnoun Another word for outfit. “Man, that guy has some nice fits.”
Step out in a pair of box-fresh trainers, dust off a forgotten jacket bought in lockdown and sunbathe in your friends’ compliments at the pub, watch another hard yoke ™ -enthusiast who looks at your outfit before giving you a knowledge – about fleeting gaze when you pass each other on the street. They all meet differently, as they say.
However, it is a delicate skill to highlight a prominent display of individualism on the football field (or on the sides) – especially given the limitations and traditions of a uniform kit, tracksuit or suit.
Enzo Scifo, Jürgen Klinsmann and Emmanuel Petit, 1992. pic.twitter.com/eOMMyEaOGL
90s Football (@ 90sfootball) 17 May 2021
But in the rich history during the European Championships, there have been countless show-stop kits, boots, suits and outlandish hairstyle combinations.
It is right; in the football sense, an iconic fit has been created when all these components – the shirt, the boots, the hair – come together perfectly to leave an imprint in the history of the tournament.
Here are the most iconic passes – from players, managers and sometimes entire troops – in European Championship history.
Today, our club and country legend Anatoly Maslyonkin would have turned 90 years old
?? Winner of Euro 1960? 1956 Olympic champion? Soviet champions x3? Soviet cup holder x2
Here he is pictured 3rd right in the bottom row after the Soviet Union team became European Champion # FCSM? ⚪ pic.twitter.com/2iBKKOqlyN
– FC Spartak Moscow (@fcsm_eng) June 29, 2020
The first European Championships may have been played during the Cold War, but the Soviet Union took the heat.
The first winners, and they wore a wonderfully simple shirt while doing so as well.
#OnThisDay 1919? ️
Ferruccio Valcareggi was born ??
He trained @Vivo_Azzurro for their UEFA European Championship victory in 1968. # respect #legendary #calcio #SeriesA pic.twitter.com/azMIjLArjM
– ForzaItalianFootball (@SerieAFFC) February 12, 2020
One of OG’s EM looks like.
Italy would win the tournament, and you would usually find Valcareggi wearing a spell-out “Italia” tracksuit.
The peaks are still iconic to this day, with bootleg versions available in all good European street markets.
Antonin Panenka takes his famous penalty kick 1980 / Getty Images / Getty Images
The Czechoslovakian hero, best known for inventing the cheekiest penalty kicks, also looked pretty cool while doing so with his child and ‘tache, combined with the classic adidas shirt.
Kevin Keegan 1980 / Getty Images / Getty Images
Fantastic captain. Who would not want to follow that binder in battle ?!
The Admiral shirt is also one of the most underrated in the history of England.
Millecamps is number 3 / Keystone / Getty Images
A real pioneer with a thick beard back in the early 80’s.
It’s hard to know where Millecamp’s hair ended and facial hair began, but dressed in Belgium’s beautiful 1980s strip, he looked.
French team captain and midfielder Michel Platini / STAFF / Getty Images
If you ignore the differences that have emerged since then, Platini is an icon for the European Championships.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your attitude) the short shorts and the baggy shirt combination are a thing of the past. Platini, however, was a man who could pull it off.
Allan Simonsen back 1984 / Getty Images / Getty Images
Surely the only player who ever has, or ever will, switch Barcelona to Charlton Athletic ?!
He left the Catalan giants for south London when Diego Maradona arrived. Not sure what he was thinking, but at least he looked cool.
Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten 1988 / VI-Images / Getty Images
Is having the waviest suit the key to success in the European Championships? We will have more evidence to suggest that this is the case later.
The flawless geometric pattern with vivid orange fading in white is hugely popular this day.
Always the bridesmaid never the bride, the 1988 European Championships remain the Netherlands’ only large cutlery.
The Soviet Union had this beauty in 1988 / Alessandro Sabattini / Getty Images
The Soviet Union went through it – still during the Cold War, but still took the heat.
Honestly, the pattern is the same as the Dutch shirt, but details such as the collar and striking font over the torso make it stand out.
Danish players celebrate their victory at Euro 92 / PATRICK HERTZOG / Getty Images
Another set of winners with a dripping strip. Do what you want.
The partnership between Denmark’s national team and the Danish brand hummel has been producing unsurpassed kits for decades now.
The Danes defied the odds and stunned the continent when they reached the final and defeated Germany in Gothenburg.
A Hell of a Fit / Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
Ruud Gullit has always been one of the coolest players in the game, but he achieved the ultimate fit as No. 10 in this often forgotten Dutch shirt from Lotto, of all brands.
Dreads, the geometric pattern, the extreme 90s font for font numbers. Oozes cool.
Sweden’s Tomas Brolin 1992 / Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
Look at the floating blonde man. adidas designers really knew what they were doing in the 90’s, and Brolin benefited.
The three stripes on the shoulder and the shorts are a beauty.
The Swedes went all the way to the semis at home, and the striker scored goals in every match (including against England).
Aljoša Asanović looks good / Michael Chan / Getty Images
Asanovic makes the cut to have every young Englishman’s hairstyle at 96 Euros, even though he is Croatian.
Later adopted by David Beckham, Asanovic was a pioneer. It also did not look good together with his nation’s fine Lotto strip.
This one speaks for itself. Nike’s first raid in international European football was in 1996 with Italy, which meant that coach Arrigo Sacchi had to bend this ridiculously cool shell suit on the side.
Eagle-eyed sneakerheads will also discover the pair of Air Max 95 that adorn his feet as well. Italian managers know what’s going on.
David Seaman from Engalnd prepares for another penalty kick / Simon Bruty / Getty Images
Goalkeeper shirts in the 90’s were not too weak, but David Seaman could not pull them off.
Here he is in his iconic Euro 96 kit, see – on paper a terrible clash of red, purple, yellow and green.
But somehow along with his mustache, it was just right.
An icon no matter what he was wearing / Getty Images / Getty Images
The most iconic fit in England’s history? Not for me to say – but yes.
Whether he was in the home jersey or the away jersey, Gazza’s bleached blonde hair, number eight, shirt and early adidas Predator look were something to enjoy.
Abel Xavier’s hair was a madness / Ben Radford / Getty Images
Xavier’s bleached blonde hair and matching beard are even mentioned in his Wikipedia post.
He was a key figure for Portugal in France, with this appearance enough to throw all the top players out of his game.
Edgar Davids has always been simply cool / Ben Radford / Getty Images
Man, the Dutch sides in the 90’s and early 00’s were cool.
Edgar Davids is perhaps only the coolest of the party, and he has rarely looked better than at Euro 2000. Combined with his branded glasses, this Dutch kit was a dream.
Totti at Euro 2000 / Claudio Villa / Getty Images
Admittedly, one of our favorites on this list is a young Francesco Totti.
The liquid man-bob, the contrast on the white headband, the set in the lighter blue shade. Kappa revolutionized the production of football shirts with its seamless Kombat 2000 design for Italy at Euro 2000, and it only appears on Bimbo de Oro.
Synonymous with the number ten, looking at this picture is enough to convince you that he was born to have 20. Madonna.
Frank Rijkaard led the Netherlands at Euro 2000 / DENIS CHARLET / Getty Images
We are still not sure what happened to Frank Rijkaard, but at most he was one of the best dressed managers.
If you can take off a leather trench coat on the touchline, you clearly have something about you.
Henrik Larsson looks at the fly / Gary M. Prior / Getty Images
Another excellent headband-shirt combination.
Aside from aerodynamics and all the obvious, necessary science, why did anyone ever stop making these ridiculously baggy shirts?
Too bad IMO.
Karel Poborsky from Czech Republic / Simon Bruty / Getty Images
The Czech legend was a sign to see with his wild hair and mazy dribbles.
It was no mistake that he bombed the wing in this smart PUMA kit and PUMA King shoes from old school.
Steve McManaman looks cool / Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images
The floppy hair, the upholstered shirt, adidas Copa Mundials.
You’ve definitely played several iterations of this guy on Hackney Marshes.
Very much a look – just a pity that McManaman did not come to Euro and has become a naff commentator.
England arrives in Portugal for Euro 2004 / Pool / Getty Images
Included only England’s third choice goalkeeper because this picture of him getting off the plane in Portugal is funny.
Otto Rehhagel in his famous tracksuit / ADRIAN DENNIS / Getty Images
A full adidas tracksuit is enough of a statement from a manager in itself, but to win an entire tournament with one?
Respect the man, respect.
Rui Costa’s iconic look at Euro 2004 / ARIS MESSINIS / Getty Images
Okay, maybe Totti is not actually our favorite on this list.
Rui Costa’s Euro 2004 attire was something to see, made even better by the unnecessarily low socks over his subtle ankle straps and gorgeous adidas Predator Pulses.
No one complained about Nike’s kit templates then, with the circle around the front shirt’s number one detail that we have not seen enough of in recent years.
Funny / AFP / Getty Images
Another photo for comedy value, but on the pitch Tomas Rosicky looked like all the teenage boys then, and took a break from watching Sum 41 videos on Kerrang! to set up football.
The wet look of gelat hair, baggy shirt and Total 90s was an atmosphere.
Simple but brilliant / Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
Russia was the surprise package in 2008, and Andrey Arshavin was at the heart of everything they did.
The impulsive attacker had a unique look, with the shirt embedded and underestimated the black Nike Mercurials throughout the tournament.
No wonder he went fashionable.
David Silva oser coolt / MLADEN ANTONOV / Getty Images
David Silva has always looked like the unchanging cool boy from school who was sick in football.
His surfer hairstyle, baggy shirt and low sling pants all contribute to an iconic look. These adidas adiPure boots are not bad either.
Frings at Euro 2008 / Jamie McDonald / Getty Images
Scores of firecrackers, carriers of a nice fit.
A beneficiary of the last days of baggy kits, Frings looked great in 2008 with its brand long hair, headbands and a pure pair of white 90s.
What a tache / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Some nice costumes over the years, but he mainly gets a place for his unforgettable tache.
The only highlight of Euro 2016 / Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
In fact, there were very few listings in 2016 (and 2012) for that matter, as football kits are becoming more technical and soccer shoes increasingly garish (depending on who you ask).
However, Zoltan Gera deserves a mention – mainly for his unorthodox Mizuno boots, where he made a banger. Hungary’s adidas kit from the tournament is also smart enough. Nice work around.
Roberto Mancini gets fit on Euro 2020 opening night / Alberto Lingria – Pool / Getty Images
It may have been the opening night of Euro 2020, but it was Roberto Mancini’s fit that stole the show.
Already one of the most suave forks in the game, this light gray suit jacket took its touch line to new levels. We really should just go straight to the Italian national team’s head of fashion thread in the future.
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