As mentioned in the post with Croatia’s Euro 2008 home kit, having the checkers is a nice touch but be careful on the amount. With the away kit that the Croats will wear, it reaffirms my point that checkers are nice…if done in moderation.

Nike took the red and white checkers that have become a staple of the Croatia National Team and incorporated them in two strips down the sides. This really stands out as the kit is a solid field of blue with nothing more than a red collar. This is the nicest kit out of the two that Croatia will wear for Euro 2008, and I must give this one a 4 out of 5 stars for the simplicity and ability to incorporate the checkers of the badge. This is one of the nicest kits in the tournament this year.

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Croatia skated their way into the Euro 2008 with literal ease. So why play so hard against England? Because that is Croatia’s way of doing business. This is not a blog about how England faultered, or Croatia is a better team, this is about kits. So let us look at Croatia’s home kit that they will wear for the Euro 2008.

Barring any change in plans, the Croats will take the pitch in a traditional red and white checkerd kit. This has become the standard for Croatia as it matches the badge and flag of the country. It is kits like this that make a country proud of their team. Taking the badge of the country and incorporating it into the kit is a classy move for a classy nation. However I do not like the amount of red and white checkers on the kit. You could have done the same in a smaller space and made it look much better. So for their home kit I will give the Croats a 3 out of 5. I like the design, just not on the entire kit.

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Puma just released a new kit that many of their sponsored national teams will wear. From everyone I have seen thus far I really like the design. Austria is one of those teams and decided to go with a solid black kit for their Away matches during the Euro 2008.

Let’s start with what I do not like about this kit, because there is not much. It does not have anything truely spectacular and different. That is all I could find. What I do like about the kit is the solid black makes it look sharp and clean. Add a touch of gold to the bottom of the sleeves, a collar, the Puma logo under the Austria Badge and the final touch that is truely a nice feature. The Austrian colors in the center of the neck line. This is a great touch that Puma has been putting on all their national team kits, and I like it. Might have to pick one of these up for myself! I am giving this one the rare 5 out of 5 stars. It might just be a perfect kit!

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Austria is a proud country and hope to fair well in the Euro 2008 tournament. They are not the favorites, by far, but with the way this year is going who knows who is going to win. What I do know is the kit they will be wearing when they are considered the home team.

Using a great kit from manufacturer Puma, the Austrian national team will don a solid red top that is flanked with white numbers, Puma logos and the Austrian Badge. Aside from that there is nothing really spectacular about this kit. It is simple and sharp looking, so I will give it a 4 out of 5. But it would have been a nice touch to add a little more white into it.

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Navy blue has been the color of choice for Ajax’s away kits for several seasons. The 2007-08 campaign is no different as Adidas has used a nice combination of navy blue and baby blue.

Using one of the newer Adidas kits in a navy blue, adding a light blue marking down the front, Adidas and Ajax have managed to create one of the nicer kits in the world. Add the traditional three stripes down the sleeves, the Adidas logo on the right chest, Ajax logo in the center and the unique sponsor placement down the left side and you are complete with the Ajax Away kit. I like the design of this kit, I have long been a fan of this particular kit design and the color scheme works well together. I will give this kit a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It is a sharpe looking kit on the pitch and in the stadium seats.

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Ajax is one of those clubs that everyone knows, no matter what part of the globe you reside. So with a top club, and top kit manufacturer, you would expect nothing but the best. Adidas did not disappoint in the 2007-08 Ajax Home Kit.

Utilizing the same design as last years campaign, Adidas took the same red and white kit and added a collar. That is it, no need to change something that has worked so well for so long. Add the standard Adidas logo in the right chest, the Ajax logo in the center and the unique placement of the sponsor logo down the left side and your Ajax Home Kit is complete. I do like the collar, it adds a nice touch, and this is an extremely nice and clean kit. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars for the simplicity and ability to remain true to the past.

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Alternative kits, or third kits as they are more often referred to, are usually something that is extremely unique to the team. Many clubs go a different route for color schemes and design. Sevilla and Joma did exactly that for this kit.

Situated on a solid field of pink…yes pink…is a white stripe that goes from left to right along the shoulder and down the left side, as well as a maroon marking on the left shoulder is all this kit has in terms of design. Incorporating the actual colors of the crest into this unique kit was a nice touch and shows respect for the club. I like this kit, however I just can not get used to a pink kit on the pitch. I know some people like it, just like some people like Chelsea’s ugly “Electric Yellow” away kit…but I do not. I will give it a 3 out of 5 for the unique display and ability to incorporate the actual colors.

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For the matches away from the home soil, Sevilla and Joma have teamed up to create another great looking kit. Utilizing the same colors as the home kit, just reversed seem to be a fool proof method for a nice kit.

If you take the home kit and replace the white with the maroon, and the maroon stripe with a white one you have Sevilla’s 2007-08 Away kit. Most people would say if it is the same kit, why not give it a 4 out of 5 stars as well? Honestly I like white kits better, they are cleaner. This kit is nice as it utilizes the clubs color scheme, but it is not as sharp as the white kit. So I will give it a high 3 out of 5. I like it, but not as much as their home kit.

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Over the past few years I have become increasingly impressed with Joma and their ability to make unique kits without losing quality. La Liga Powerhouse Sevilla has looked to Joma to create a nice home kit for the 2007-08 campaign.

Utilizing a solid field of white with a red marking on the left shoulder and red highlights around the base of the sleeves is all the kit needs to be classic. Leaving it simple and using the colors of the crest are a combination that will make any kit an instant classic and a must have in the collection of any fan. Joma and Sevilla management did well with this kit and I give it a 4 out of 5 stars. Quite possibly could be the best home kit the Spanish league…

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For the matches that Lyon will have to travel to, Umbro and Lyon management went with a kit that has little to do with the overall color scheme of the club. Little, yet still sufficient.

Going with the gold that is in the outline of the club’s badge and not cluttering it with other colors and designs makes this kit simple. However I think adding more than just a touch of red here, and a touch of blue there would have been smarter and made the kit look that much better. As it stands right now it is hard to look at and I personally think there were many other options Umbro and Lyon management could have gone with. Maybe a red kit, or a blue kit, or a combination of the two. The gold is not a bad color, just should not be the “only” color. I give it a 2 out of 5 stars and that is only because it is simple which makes it look good regardless.

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