Giorgio Armani dressing the Italian national football team for Euro 2020 finals

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Jun 4, 2021

Giorgio Armani is dressing the Italian national football team in their official uniform for Euro 2020 finals, which begin Friday 11 June.

 
And even though the Italian team is nicknamed Gli Azzurri, or The Azzures, Armani is kitting out the entire squad and coach Roberto Mancini, who himself is known as a natty dresser, in pale powder blue.
 
Due to the pandemic, the Euro 2020 finals were delayed until this summer, when Italy will be one of 24 teams in the competition which climaxes with a final in Wembley Stadium on July 11.

Giorgio chose his Emporio Armani line for the team and made the jacket in homage to the famously meticulous Enzo Bearzot, the manager of Italy when they won the World Cup in 1982, who was noted for wearing high-collar looks.
 
The result is palest blue jacket with a mandarin collar in light cotton seersucker with a crumpled effect, paired with soft black cotton trousers. A contemporary blend of Armani’s deconstructed tailoring and Italian nonchalance.
 
Armani's has had a long love affair with calcio, as the Italians term football. He even dressed the English national squad, and famously gave David Beckham one of his whisper-light cardigan jackets, before christening it the Beckham jacket. The great Italian designer has dressed multiple stars from leading Italian teams including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kakà, Luis Figo, Fabio Cannavaro and Andriy Shevchenko, who was even a model for Armani campaigns. And attired great athletes like Rafael Nadal, Federica Pellegrini and Filippo Magnini. Armani is also a huge basketball fan and has owned the top ranked Olimpia Milano team since 2008.

 
“I am proud to dress our national team in this time of general reboot and for such an important championship. I worked on an idea of spontaneous, sporty and authentic elegance. I created a costume that is light but dignified, as dignified and proud as our minds should be right now,” explained Armani.
 
The initiative is part of a larger four-year collaboration plan, signed in 2019 by Armani with the Italian Football Federation, which includes the creation of the official Emporio Armani wardrobe for the national team; the Under-21 team and the national women's team.
 
“I want to thank Signor Armani for being able to design a suit that combines and enhances three fundamental characteristics of this young, stylish and determined national team. His style goes perfectly with the direction given to the Azzurri by coach Mancini, ” said Federation president Gabriele Gravina.