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Matchworn by Benjamin Verbič 23.03.2018 AUT 🇦🇹 : SVN 🇸🇮 3-0
Manufacturer: Nike
Source: ÖFB staff
THE COUNTRY
The small Central European country of Slovenia in some way fittingly represents Europe as a whole:
The moderate climate and beautiful Alpine scenery in the north, the lush forests and vineyards in the east, and the Mediterranean coasts in the southwest are a perfect summary of what can be expected of the average European country.
“Average” is also a great cue to describe the countries footballing performance. Having had their most successful period from 2000 to 2010, with team qualifying for the 2002 and 2010 World Cup, as well as the EURO 2000, the subsequent years were hallmarked by a steady decline. In 2021, however, the team was able to win their Nations League group, enabling them to get promoted to group B, where they will face Sweden, Norway and Serbia.
THE SHIRT
Nike always managed to equip Slovenia with great shirts. Arguably being one of the brand’s minor teams, Slovenia is still treated with fantastic bespoke designs. Just as their Croatian neighbors chequered shirts, Slovenia’s jerseys are marked by a recurring design feature: a stylized depiction of Triglav, the country’s highest mountain, which is featured prominently on the front of the shirt. The jersey comes in a vibrant blue with subtle neon green features and fitting numbers. Being a player shirt, it features Nike’s “VaporKnit” technology which really gives the shirt a premium feel. VaporKnit, as the name suggests, are small, knitted patterns all over the shirt which are supposed to ensure a more pleasant fit and better ventilation. Unlike the replica versions, the Nike logo and the federation badge aren’t embroidered into the fabric, but rather transferred, in order to prevent nipple-bleeding.
The shirt was worn by Dynamo Kyiv striker Benjamin Verbič, when the team lost 3-0 in a friendly match against neighboring Austria. I was able to get this shirt from a ÖFB employee, alongside a few other nice shirts.
