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Our Top 5 Kits Of Euro 96

ince-gascoigne-euro-96

Euro 96 was one of the most exciting tournaments of recent years.

Although it ended in heartache for England, the atmosphere brought to the British Isles by the travelling fans was electric.

One of the best things about any international tournament is the wave of new kits unveiled for the competition.

And Euro 96 did not disappoint!

In this article, we pick our top 5 Euro 96 kits that live long in the memory.

croatia home kit euro 96

Croatia home kit

Who can forget the Croatia team of Euro 96?

In the country’s first major tournament, it boasted stars such as Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki, whilst the team was spearheaded by star striker Davor Suker.

The Croatians exploded into the quarter-finals of the tournament, only to lose out 2-1 to eventual champions Germany.

Croatia brought many great memories such as Davor Suker’s lobbed goal against Denmark. However, it is their home jersey we remember most fondly!

The red and white checkered shirt has always been a standout design, and there is no design quite like it! This was the first time it was showcased on the international stage, and it made quite the impression.

italy euro 96 kit

Italy home shirt

Italians are known for their style, and their Euro 96 home shirt did not disappoint.

In its traditional blue colour, it was stylishly finished off with gold and white trims to the sleeves.

We love the gold finishes across the kit (it even outlines the shirt and number prints) and is ever a popular shirt in our store for football fanatics.

Unfortunately on the pitch, the Azzurri didn’t do this classic kit justice.

Even with players such as Gianfranco Zola, Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Del Piero, the Italian national team went out with a whimper. The Azzurri exited in the group stage with what many would put down to Arrigo Sacchi’s tinkering tactics.

England away shirt

This grey England shirt will always be memorable for on-pitch agony against arch-rivals Germany, but the kit itself deserves a special mention.

The first English kit of its kind in the colour grey, the kit was a truly unique design that has not been seen before or after.

This grey England kit was worn during their conclusion to the tournament, with current England manager Gareth Southgate missing the all-important penalty.

Both England Euro 96 shirts can be purchased in our store.

zidane france euro 96 kit

France home shirt

France are another international team who seem to have a conveyor belt of classic kits. Euro 96 was no different with their laced home jersey.

In its traditional royal blue with the French flag colours draped across the shoulders, the shirt oozes class and sophistication. Not to mention, that laced finish underneath the collar!

This was a France team that boasted the talents of Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira, Marcel Desailly and Zinedine Zidane.

Managed by Aime Jacquet, Allez Bleus reached the semi-finals before being beaten on penalties by the surprise team of the tournament, the Czech Republic.

netherlands home shirt euro 96

Netherlands Home Shirt

With its distinctive Orange colour, the Netherlands kits are always in someone’s favourite kit conversation.

This particular shirt was used at Euro 96 and is one of our favourites too!

In a classic kit design, the Oranje home shirt from 1996 features a white colour that sports subtly the colours of the Netherlands national flag.

The Dutch side were in the media often during Euro 96 due to rows within their own camp. Even though they had stars such as Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Edgar Davids, they still failed to make it past the quarter-finals and were knocked out by France.

This classic Dutch shirt is available in our store for immediate delivery.

Notable kit mentions

It isn’t always the case nowadays, but in the era of Euro 96 kits were often very distinctive from their predecessor. That made our selection for the top 5 shirts at the tournament all that more difficult!

So, it would be rude if we did not give some honorary mentions to some kits that deserve a shout out.

german kit euro 96

Germany home shirt

Most shirts at Euro 96 were collared jerseys. The Germans decided to go for a different approach and chose a design that preferred a stub collar.

The shirt has a timeless design that felt retro before it even had years on its clock!

Germany crowned this one-of-a-kind kit by winning Euro 96, putting the shirt in folklore as well as football fanatics wishlists.

netherlands away kit euro 96

Netherlands away shirt

Yes, we love a Dutch jersey! To be fair to us, this shirt is another one that was a stand out from other designs at the time.

With two top performances from the Netherlands Euro 96 jerseys, it’s a shame their team didn’t echo them on the pitch.

Top 5 kits from Euro 96 – Conclusion

So, there you have it! Our top 5 kits from Euro 96.

A classic era of creative football kits, that have stood the test of time and are still loved even 25 years on.

Do you agree with our picks?

Let us know in the comments below or on our Instagram page.

Want to see more classic jerseys, visit our online store for more retro collections!

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England’s Euro 96 Campaign

shearer euro 96 switzerland

The summer of 96. The stage was set for something special.

The first major championship on English soil since the famous 1966 World Cup win, a catchy song ready to be bellowed across Wembley, and a nation ready to party.

The England 96 squad

The England squad was littered with established stars including the Premier League’s top scorer Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham (The famous SAS duo), as well as a few promising youngsters such as Gary Neville.

There was a real buzz around England’s chances. Manager Terry Venables had got the team playing an attractive brand of football and they were widely seen as potential dark horses for the tournament.

england euro 96 squad
England’s Euro 96 squad

The Full England Squad List

  1. David Seaman (Arsenal)
  2. Gary Neville (Manchester United)
  3. Stuart Pearce (Nottingham Forest)
  4. Paul Ince (Inter Milan)
  5. Tony Adams (Arsenal)
  6. Gareth Southgate (Aston Villa)
  7. David Platt (Arsenal)
  8. Paul Gascoigne (Rangers)
  9. Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers)
  10. Teddy Sheringham (Tottenham Hotspur)
  11. Darren Anderton (Tottenham Hotspur)
  12. Steve Howey (Newcastle United)
  13. Tim Flowers (Blackburn Rovers)
  14. Nick Barmby (Middlesbrough)
  15. Jamie Redknapp (Liverpool)
  16. Sol Campbell (Tottenham Hotspur)
  17. Steve McManaman (Liverpool)
  18. Les Ferdinand (Newcastle United)
  19. Phil Neville (Manchester United)
  20. Steve Stone (Nottingham Forest)
  21. Robbie Fowler (Liverpool)
  22. Ian Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

The England Euro 96 kits

pearce england euro 96 kit

England 96 home kit

England’s home kit for Euro 96 was a subtle all-white design that was finished off by a Navy and lighter blue collar.

Navy shorts and white socks supported this popular England shirt.

pearce euro 96 grey away kit

England 96 away shirt

The England 96 away kit was unique with its grey colour. Never done before or after, the kit had 2 shades of grey creating a ‘stripe’ effect on the jersey.

The England shirt was complimented by grey shorts and socks.

Euro 96 group stage

England was placed in a squad with the Netherlands, Switzerland and an eye-catching tie against neighbouring rivals Scotland.

By no means an easy group to qualify from, but most England fans would have been confident of making it through to the knockout stages.

England vs. Switzerland

First up was a match against Switzerland who had recently changed manager to replace Roy Hodgson who had departed to Inter Milan after a successful qualifying campaign.

It all started so promisingly with Alan Shearer firing in the opener with his first goal for England in 2 years.

However, Switzerland hit a late equaliser through a Kubilay Turkilmaz penalty. England were unable to find a way through for the remainder of the match, having to settle for a 1-1 draw.

shearer switzerland euro 96
Shearer puts England ahead against Switzerland

England vs. Scotland

A game that is etched in the memories for England fans.

The Wembley atmosphere was electric for the match, with the auld enemy Scotland desperate to spoil the party.

An Alan Shearer header again gave England the perfect start, before Gary McAllister had a chance to equalise from the penalty spot.

However, David Seaman pulled off a great save to keep the English lead intact.

Now, enter the stage Paul Gascoigne!

Gazza receives a ball from Darren Anderton on the edge of Scotland’s box, he loops the ball over an incoming Colin Hendry, before smashing a right-foot volley past the helpless Andy Goram.

gascoigne euro 96 scotland
Gascoigne fires a volley in to score one of the goals of the tournament

He runs over to grab a water bottle and goes on to perform the famous doctor’s chair celebration. Gazza had single-handedly put England into dreamland.

The game finished 2-0 to England and Gazza’s wondergoal is still remembered as one of the best moments in English football history.

One of the most famous goals (and celebrations!) in recent England international history, and it effectively sealed the Three Lions’ spot in the knockout stages.

gascoigne doctors chair euro 96
Gazza’s famous ‘doctors chair’ celebration

England Vs. Netherlands

The final group game against the Netherlands.

The Dutch side was full of well know exciting stars, with many players plying their trade for Champions League runners-up Ajax Amsterdam.

Notable names would include Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and the De Boer brothers Frank and Ronald.

Both teams needed a win to be sure of qualification, with Switzerland and Scotland still in with a chance should results fall in their favour.

Alan Shearer converted from the spot to continue his goal-a-game ratio in the tournament so far, following a foul on Inter Milan midfielder Paul Ince.

The SAS strikeforce was in full flow with Teddy Sheringham scoring a second from a Paul Gascoigne corner.

This was then followed by a wonderful Alan Shearer strike, cutting across the ball to fire into the top corner.

Sheringham then left no doubt of victory with a fourth goal, finishing a rebound from Darren Anderton’s effort.

Patrick Kluivert did grab a consolation goal, which meant the Dutch qualified for the knockout stage instead of Scotland.

Shearer england netherlands euro 96
Shearer scores his second against the Netherlands

Euro 96 Quarter-Final – Spain

After emphatically topping their group, England hosted Spain in the quarter-final stage at Wembley.

The game was not a classic and ended in a tense 0-0 result after extra time.

Now for the scenario every England fan dreads…Penalties!

However, it wasn’t the usual disappointment for the Three Lions. Hero of the hour David Seaman saved Miguel Angel Nadal after Hierro had blasted his penalty against the bar.

4-2 on pens and England through to the semi-final.

Against who? No other than arch-enemy Germany.

seaman spain england euro 96
Seaman saves a penalty against Spain, booking England’s place in the Semi’s

Euro 96 Semi-Final – Germany

england grey euro 96 kit
England’s side wearing their grey away kit against Germany

The stage was set. Arch enemies on more than one occasion, England and Germany faced each other with a chance of reaching the European Championship Final.

Germany had been impressive throughout the tournament and would be a real challenge to England reaching their first major final for thirty years.

Wearing the iconic grey kit, England got off to the best start possible when Alan Shearer headed his fifth of the tournament from a Paul Gascoigne corner.

However, the tournament lasted only 13 minutes before Stefan Kuntz put home the equaliser to leave things on a knife edge for both sets of fans.

shearer goal euro 96 germany england
Shearer puts England in the lead against Germany

A tense game where England almost nicked it when Gazza slid to meet an Alan Shearer cross (So, so close!).

After extra-time came the much-feared penalties against an efficient German side who had beaten the English at Italia 90 from the same scenario.

The Germans carried out their penalties as expected with laser precision, and to the delight of England fans so had their side!

Stalemate

With both sides scoring 100% of their penalties, it came down to arrived sudden death…..

Can centre-half and current England manager Gareth Southgate step up to put England into a lead once more?

Unfortunately. No.

Southgate misses.

southgate miss euro 96
Southgate misses his penalty against Germany
southgate germany euro 96
Heartache for Southgate and England

Andreas Moller scores his penalty to give the Germans a spot in the Euro 96 final.

England fans were left heartbroken, but this group of players had managed to forge a bond between fans and the team that would live on for many years to come.

England didn’t just provide us with memorable tournament, they also gave us two classic kits that remain popular over 25 years later! Both shirts can be purchased today from our store.

Do you have fond memories of England at Euro 96?

Let us know in the comments below!