L.A. Firpo 2012/13 Home Kit

Front view

Back view

Isn't it a tipically Central-South American crest?

Former captain Dennis Alas giving an interview after a match.

Carlos E. Ayala during a match against Isidro Metapán.

CLUB DEPORTIVO LUIS ÁNGEL FIRPO
-Founded: 21 September 1923
-Honours: 10 Salvadoran leagues (Last one: Clausura 2013)
-Biggest rival: CD FAS, CD Águila, Alianza FC 
-About: Firpo plays most of its home games at Estadio Sergio Torres Rivera, better known throughout Central America as the Devil's Cauldron. Located in Usulután, it's an exception among Salvadoran clubs: Firpo is the only team in the First Division which plays in its own stadium.

I was in a Joma official store in Madrid and then I saw this. Two completely plain football shirts with a crest on them which I hadn't seen in my life. What a great surprise when I discovered it was a club from Usulután, El Salvador. The shirts were on sale, so I bought both of them. I would have prefered the jerseys with all those sponsors on them (they make a shirt seem more 'authentic'), but anyway that made my day.
I also investigated about its price on eBay and on the CONCACAF official shop and it exceeded 50€, so I'm selling one (I fair play, only for 40€).
I will definitely visit more often that Joma store.

-Season: 2012/13
-Brand: Joma 
-Special features: replica version features (embroidered Joma logo and club crest).
-Where to buy it: my eBay profile (cheapest site, trust me)
-Approximate price: $55 / €40 / £33

Santos 2012/13 Home Kit - Player Issue

Front view

Back view

Santos crest and an inscription relating to the club's centenary.

Caption inside the collar.

This 'T' only features in the player issue version.

Nike's laser-cut ventilation holes.

Neymar Jr. wearing the shirt during the past season.

SANTOS FUTEBOL CLUBE 
-Founded: 14 April 1912 
-Honours: 3 Copa Libertadores (Last one: 2011); 3 Brasilerão (Last one: 2004) 
-Biggest rival: São Paulo 
-About: The first colors chosen for the new club were white, azure blue and golden lemon. But the difficulty to fabricate the colors on the uniform during those times forced a board meeting a year after the club's foundation. The president of Santos based the club on the new colours, white and black.

Despite I'm a Real Madrid supporter, I must say that I've been looking forward to get this shirt more than any other one in the collection.
When my Brazilian mate Henrique asked me for a Málaga shirt, I thought he could be able to get me the Santos third kit with Neymar #11 printing, but then he told me that the player issue home shirt was on sale, so I took the second option.
The only downside was that while the shirt was on the way, Barça signed Neymar. I didn't really want him for Real, but neither for Barcelona.
And thanks a million to Henrique (whose collection you can see here), who helped me to get this incredible shirt!

-Season: 2012/13
-Brand: Nike
-Special features: Player Issue version features (laser-cut side perforations, Dri-FIT fabric, heat-transfered Swoosh and club crest...) and Neymar Jr. #11 official printing.
-Where to buy it: Netshoes
-Approximate price: $53 / €40 / £35

Valencia CF 2012/13 Home Kit

Front view

Back view

Embroidered crest.

Joma authenticity seal.

'Amunt València' means 'Go Valencia', so quite original.

VALÈNCIA CLUB DE FUTBOL
-Founded: 18 March 1919
-6 Spanish Leagues (Last one: 2004)
-Biggest rival: Levante UD
-In the 1950s, Mestalla (their stadium) was restructured, which resulted in a capacity increase to 45,000 spectators. Today it holds 55,000 seats. Valencia was scheduled to move to a new stadium in the north-west of the city in 2010. Construction of the 75,000-seat Nou Mestalla was halted by financial constraints, however, and the future status of the project remains indefinite.

I did a short trip to Valencia last month (for those who don't know yet, Spanish coasts are pretty cool to spend there some weeks) and I was able to purchase a pair of shirts.
Since the start of the season I wanted this one, so I went to a department store and bought it for about 40€. I'm not a big fan of Joma but I think they did a pretty good job with this. I have to add that the big MSC sticker on the sleeve, apart from ruining a bit the shirt, is quite uncomfortable to wear.

AC Milan 2012/13 Third Kit

Front view

Back view

Milan's crest.

Inscription inside the collar.

The coolest thing on the shirt: an Italian flag which ends in a pocket.

Pato wearing the shirt during its launch.

ASSOCIAZIONE CALCIO MILAN
-Founded: 16 December 1899
-7 European Cups (Last one: 2007); 18 Italian Leagues (Last one: 2011)
-Biggest rival: Inter Milan 
-The club was founded as a football and cricket club on 16 December 1899 by English expatriates Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin, who came from the English city of Nottingham. In honor of its English origins, the club has retained the English spelling of the city's name, as opposed to the Italian spelling Milano which it was forced to bear under the fascist regime.

I had the opportunity to get a shirt of a club from Milan, and obviously I wasn't going to choose any of the plain Inter's kits. They told me it had been very easy to find the shirt because Milan has several stores around the city, and even a two-storey building called Megastore. I think this is the first shirt with a pocket on it I've ever seen, and I really really like it.
It's the 33rd shirt in my collection... I don't really have any superb shirt or anything you couldn't easily find on the Internet, but I feel my collection starts growing faster and every new shirt I receive thrills me like the first one, and that's what really matters :)

I'm going to start focusing on Spanish teams and Asian teams. I suppose there will be more offers now that the season is ending... I have an eye on some shirts like Levante, LionsXII (from Singapore), Villarreal and some former Soviet countries.

Real Madrid CF 2012/13 Away Kit

Front view

Back view

Hole kit

Patch commemorating the 110th anniversary

Benzema celebrates his goal against Rayo Vallecano last month.

REAL MADRID CLUB DE FÚTBOL
-Founded: 6 March 1902
-9 European Cups (Last one: 2002); 32 Spanish Leagues (Last one: 2012)
-Biggest rival: FC Barcelona
-Awarded with the recognition of FIFA Club of the 20th century on 23 December 2000.

This is my first personalized shirt, and it couldn't be of any other team than Real Madrid. I didn't choose 12 for any special reason. I think it's the most expensive kit which I have in the collection, adding the customization to the shirt. Cool shirt, though.