Al Ahly have made a blistering start to the season and currently sit top of the Egyptian Premier League having won their opening three fixtures. Last Saturday the league leaders put five past Aswan in a rampant 1-5 away victory. A much tougher test is expected next for Rene Weiler’s men as they take on Zamalek, who are also unbeaten this season and currently sit fourth in the table.
As things take shape on the field, the club also revealed its new home shirt for the 2019-2020 season and celebrated Al Ahly’s partnership with British football brand Umbro, which began back in 1979. The new kit is inspired by the jersey worn at the beginning of the partnership, “Earlier in the year, when we were planning on the kit, we ran into some archive images of Al Ahly wearing Umbro back in 1979,” says Tom Fonti Grzelak, Brand Manager, Umbro. “Just then we realised that this will be our story line and the design inspiration for the 19/20 kit”
“To be back as Al Ahly’s technical supplier after 40 years comes with lot of pride and responsibility. The club is one of the biggest and most successful in the world, so we need to set our standards high in everything we do for them and their fans. This season’s jersey is a tribute to the origin of our partnership and a symbol for future success,” adds Grzelak.
The traditional red home kit, available at the Umbro showroom in Al Quoz, has the brand’s logo along the shoulders and is finished with a white trim around the collar in sleeves. Following the launch came the announcement of the club’s new black away kit and striking green third kit. The launch campaign built around the notion ‘Back to Origins’ highlighting key moments from the club’s past.
Umbro sponsors more than 120 clubs around the world including Everton, West Ham United, FC Schalke 04 and PSV Eindhoven. The company began life in 1924 in the cupboard of the Bull’s Head Hotel, owned by the parents of the Humphreys brothers, Wallace and Harold. The pair had little experience in business, although two years prior to starting the brand, Harold had launched his own sportswear retail business. Arguably the sports brand’s finest moment in their 95-year history came when 15 of the 16 teams in the 1966 World Cup wore Umbro kits, including England – who continued to don the Humphreys brothers’ creation until 2012.
