The Stripes Are Back

First, a confession.

I must admit that I am a huge Liverpool fan. And being a subscriber of its official newsletters, I received a mail earlier today, about a pre-order of their new jersey this year.

When I opened the mail and saw their new jersey, I simply couldn't contain my excitement.

The three stripes are finally back!

Being sponsored by Reebok for many years, Liverpool gave me a strange feeling - They are outsiders. To me, putting on my Reebok Liverpool jersey was like wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat to a rave party.

You just don't belong there.

I mean, when it comes to soccer, would you think of the Reebok brand?

No I wouldn't.

For many years, Adidas was the king of soccer. Since 1970, Adidas has been the official sponsor of the World Cup match balls, and its famous three-stripe brand has been made famous by a number of top clubs around the world, including Real Madrid, Milan and Bayern Munchen.

On the other hand, Nike has won over a lot of people's heart through its stylish design and successful marketing campaigns in recent years. The back-to-the-70s' design for the jerseys of a number of teams in this year's World Cup (Brazil and Netherlands, etc.) is, to many critics, one of the best ever. Many top clubs are sponsored by Nike, including Barcelona, Juventus, Arsenal and Manchester United.

And Reebok isn't even in the top three. Remember Italy, the team which won this year's World Cup? Switzerland, the only team not to have conceded any goals in the Finals? And Ghana, the team which could have given Brazil a real scare if their strikers could somehow shoot on goal? They all wore Pumas.

Liverpool has a long history with Adidas. Liverpool fans can never forget the "CROWN Paints" jersey and the "Candy" jerseys in the 80s' and early 90s', one of the most successful spells in the club's glorious history.

I'd better get one as soon as possible. But I have to lose some weight first.