Monza is impressing on the field, but the new jersey is dividing the fans
Monza, newly promoted to Serie A, kicked off the season with two encouraging results: a 4‑3 in their opening friendly against Pro Vercelli and, above all, a convincing 2–0 victory in Linz against Galatasaray, secured Friday night by Carboni and Cutrone. But more than the results, what’s been the talk of the town among fans is the Brianza-based club’s new jersey, the subject of a heated debate on social media even after the debut of the “away” version, which took place against the Turkish side.
The Biancorossi’s official apparel sponsor, Nike, has in fact chosen to break with tradition by eliminating the historic vertical stripe—white on the home jersey, red on the away jersey—which for decades has been a hallmark of the Brianza-based club. A decision that has divided the fan base.
In the comment sections of posts showcasing the new kit, there are quite a few comments from those who see the choice as a betrayal of the club’s identity: “Without the stripe, it’s not a Monza jersey,” writes one fan, while others quip: “A red jersey with a white collar and a white one with a red collar? It looks like Perugia—zero stars.” However, there are those who defend the change: “Those who always talk about the stripe probably haven’t followed Monza much over the last 30–40 years,” wrote a more conciliatory supporter.
The debate has heated up between “nostalgics” and “revisionists”. “The striped jersey provided a well-established visual identity for Monza,” recalls one fan, to which another replies: “That’s an exaggeration—there were no stripes in the ’80s and ’90s.” Even the third jersey—the midnight blue one—doesn’t feature vertical stripes; last year, however, it had a two-tone design in white and red.
The stripe-less jersey still strikes a deep chord with a fan base accustomed to identifying with a simple yet distinctive graphic symbol.
On the field, for now, the team coached by Ivan Juric has performed well, but the toughest challenge off the field is another: ensuring that the new uniform wins over the fans’ hearts.
