Croatia allowed to wear their famous checkered home shirt at the World Cup opener
FIFA has accepted a request from the Croatian Football Association to play the opening fixture of the 2014 World Cup in their traditional red and white checkered shirt.
Croatia were supposed to wear their blue away shirt in the opening fixture however Croatian FA president Davor Suker had submitted a request to FIFA pointing out the significance of the checkered red and white shirt to Croatia, especially given they are going to be playing in the opening fixture of the World Cup.
FIFA’s approval will therefore see two of the most recognisable kits in the World Cup opener, Brazil’s yellow and green shirts and Croatia’s red and white.
Croatia will play all three group matches in their famous red and white shirt, as they face Cameroon and Mexico who will both be wearing green shirts. The only difference is that they will wear blue socks against Cameroon and white socks against Mexico.
With the countdown to the 2014 World Cup getting closer to kick-off, check out all the participating teams’ kits here.
An Anglo/Italian sports journalist and author who writes for a number of publications, including The Guardian and Sports Illustrated. Previously a columnist for World Soccer, Jean Paul has appeared on a number of football podcasts including The Guardian’s Football Weekly, he is a Juventus supporter having followed the Bianconeri since first visiting the Stadio delle Alpi in the 1990s.
What a nonsence, why would FIFA want Croatia to wear their change kit in the first place, how long has red and white checks clashed with yellow?!!
Since FIFA’s regulations permit only a “light” and “dark” kit for World Cup Finals tournaments and teams are meant to be one light and one dark. Don’t ask me why, it’s a nonsense, it’s not like black and white tvs are still prevalent even in developing countries.
Brazil’s “light” is the yellow shirt, their “dark” is the blue change kit, somehow Croatia have managed to wangle using red/white checks for “light” and blue for “dark”, but now have special dispensation to play light v light (thus proving how crap the rules are to begin with).
So where has this info come from, and are the actual kit combinations per match listed on FIFA.com?
FIFA kit rules are ridiculous. Why just go the whole hog. One team in all black, one in all white. Oh no, that would impact on shirt sales.
Tottenham play Everton without to much hassle so why do England and Italy change their short colours.
we are not dumb fans. we can distinguish between yellow brazilian shirts and red+white chequered croatian shirts on the pitch / tv in the first place… duh!! FIFA peepz… u need better glasses
common sense prevail, why fifa would force croatia to wear their away kit against brazil is stupid. both teams wore home kits when they met in germany
If you’re watching a Black and White TV and can’t tell the difference between a plain shirt and a chequered one you don’t deserve the gift of sight. FIFA are a bunch of morons surely if 2 teams have solid colour kits it only make it more confusing for the black and white tv users.
What black and white tv users!?
FIFA is always very slow in making decisions. 30 years ago black-and-white TV sets where still common, these rule exists at least since the 1950s and FIFA just didn’t change it…
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