Away 2022/23
Matchworn Robert Ivanov 11.06.22 ROU 🇷🇴 : FIN 🇫🇮 1-0
Manufacturer: Nike
Source: Collector
THE COUNTRY
Finns are said to be calm and reserved – just like their football shirts, apparently. Plain white with the obligatory three Adidas stripes has basically been the design for the Finnish national team for decades, mirroring the countries uneventful footballing history.
Just last year, Nike finally revealed a really nicely designed pair of shirts for the 2021 European Championship. Taking part in said tournament marked the biggest footballing achievement for the country that rather likes watching men chasing a rubber disc on an ice skating rink.
Finland almost managed to advance to the Round of 16 after defeating Denmark in a game that almost took a tragic turn...
THE SHIRT
After Nike had already delivered great designs for the Finns on their first try, the American manufacturer managed to go one better in 2022.
The Scandinavians' away jersey, kept in shades of blue, depicts the feather of an eagle owl – the national team's mascot – and was my personal jersey of 2022. Needless to say, I absolutely had to have one of these beauties in my collection!
The one I eventually got is a matchworn jersey of defender Robert Ivanov from the June 2022 match against Romania, where Ivanov exchanged it with Romania's captain Vlad Chiriches after the game.
The stunning design is further enhanced by Nike's "Vaporknit" technology, where the jersey is covered with a pattern of tiny textures that give the shirt an extremely premium feel. Even the numbers have miniscule engravings that are only visible when you look closely.
As usual with the high-quality Nike jerseys, the shirt has no seams and also the Nike swoosh and the Finnish crest are transferred to the jersey.
All in all, this is certainly one of the highest quality jerseys in my collection and without a doubt an absolute stunner!
