The Inter is gearing up for a Serie A title defence with a new look, as Nike pulled out a design for them to ensure the players turn heads.
Their new home kit was released earlier this year, and features a departure from the straight black and white vertical stripes that were emblematic of Inter throughout their 113-year history.
Previous images released of the new Nerazzurri kit teased that the biscione serpent, an historic symbol of the city of Milan, would feature on the shirt. The last time the dragon-serpent appeared on an Inter kit was ten years ago, and now it’s welcomed back. Blue takes over almost the shirt, with a snakeskin print over its entire surface that combines blue and black and gives a new abstract take to the classic stripes.
The launch was also accompanied by a video featuring, of course, the Biscione itself, which we see visiting various symbolic landmarks of the city of Milan.
For the away kit, abstract resemblances are left behind and the serpent takes life, dominating the entire design, running from front to back and framing the white shirt in black and blue.
The club wrote in a statement: “The new skin of an icon, Inter and Nike present the new away kit for the 2021-22 season. The new away kit is in continuity with the home kit, keeping the theme of the Biscione that changes skin and celebrates the new visual identity of Inter.”
The new jerseys are also the first to feature the club’s brand-new crest, which was revealed back in March. In the reworked design the letters “FC” were removed from the old crest, to get a more clean, minimalist crest that focuses better on the “IM” and is surrounded by a simple roundel.
They also have new shirt sponsors, after 26 years accompanying the Nerazzurri, Pirelli was replaced across the midriff to give place to their official fan token, $inter, courtesy of socios.com in the away kit and Lenovo, a back-of-shirt sponsor for the home kit.
The club have also confirmed that the replica kits sold to fans will be made from at least 95% polyester fabric salvaged from recycled plastic bottles, as they strive for high performance while also reducing the impact of mass-production on the environment. This fabric cuts carbon emissions by up to 30% compared to virgin polyester.
“It is important for us to increase usage of low-carbon alternatives for the materials in our products without compromising style or performance. sustainability can’t come with compromises, and our goal is to come up with more sustainable solutions that are better for the athlete,” explained one of NIKE’s innovation experts.
“Innovating these solutions is the first critical step, but scaling those learnings is where we drive true impact. since 2010, we’ve worked to implement more sustainable solutions for our top clubs and federations as well as for our fans and everyday athletes. today, most NIKE football kits are made with 100% recycled polyester.“
The new Inter jerseys are available to buy from store.inter.it and nike.com.