Aston Villa revealed their 2021/22 home shirt on Wednesday to mixed reviews from supporters.
The shirt, designed by Kappa for the third-straight season, features the club’s iconic blue sleeves and a claret base adorned with darker stripes. British online car retailer Cazoo is retained as primary shirt sponsor.
The original claret and blue, all set for 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭/𝟮𝟮. 😍
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 14, 2021
Supporters took to Twitter to voice their opinions on this year’s home strip and the general consensus is that of disappointment. The sharp edges at the top of the sleeves are abrupt and the stripe effect on the main area of the shirt is a bit cheap looking.
Aston Villa’s 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭/𝟮𝟮 home kit is available in-store and online now! 🙌
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 14, 2021
That’s not to say the rollout was a complete failure. Supporters were delighted to see Jack Grealish–alongside Tyrone Mings, Ollie Watkins, and John McGinn–model the shirt in promotional images, hopefully signaling the club’s intent to hold onto the England star amidst Manchester City’s reported interest in signing the talisman.
This is set to be the final year of Villa’s Kappa sponsorship and it’s unknown which brand the club will partner with next season. All three home shirts designed by Kappa were largely underwhelming, especially in contrast with the fan-favorite 2018/19 strip Villa were promoted in.