Why do Italy play in blue and why are they called ‘Azzurri’?

Italy are bidding to join Germany and Spain as the most successful team in the history of the European Championship at Euro 2024, where they will hope to win the tournament for the third time.

The blue shirts worn by the Italians can be considered among the most famous in international football, along with the yellow of Brazil, which gives the side its nickname, Canarinho (Little Canary).

Italy, known as the ‘Azzurri,’ which simply translates to ‘The Blues,’ have won four World Cups and two European Championship adorned in blue and have rarely strayed from their traditional strip throughout their history.

The reason Italy play in blue

Like many teams in the early 20th century, Italy started out in white when they made their debut against France in 1910. Although this was partly due to a debate about which colour should represent a nation that had unified only 50 years previously, it was also based on more pragmatic concerns - the contemporary cost of dye.

Eventually it was decided that Italy should play in blue and the new shirts were sported for the first time in 1911 against Hungary after a couple of games in white. Blue was a natural choice, stemming from the Savoy blue (or Savoy azure) used by the House of Savoy from the 11th century. From reasonably humble beginnings, the House of Savoy grew to become absolute rulers of Sicily and later, through the Savoy-Carignano branch of the family, absolute rulers of Italy until the declaration of the Italian Republic in 1946. Italy’s last four kings, Victor Emmanuel II, Umberto I, Victor Emmanuel III, and Umberto II were all of the House of Savoy and Savoy blue still adorns the outer edge of the Italian Presidential Standard.

Also called azzurro Savoia in Italian, the colour gave its name to the national side shortly after Italy adopted its blue shirts.

What other colours have Italy played in?

Like many nations, Italy have occasionally veered away from their traditional strip. A short-lived experiment with black was ordered by Benito Mussolini and Italy played France in a friendly in 1935 and again at the 1938 in the all-black strip preferred by the Italian dictator (although blue was worn at the 1936 Olympic Games in Hitler’s Germany).

Italy’s standard away strip is white but they have occasionally worn a green shirt, first used during a 1954 friendly against Argentina. The story goes that as Italy’s senior side wears blue, those going through the junior international sides would be required to wear the green “apprentice” shirts before being ceremoniously awarded their azzurro Savoia.

Since Italy became a republic in 1964, the blue shirt has been worn as the country’s first strip on a permanent basis, making them one of the few nations to wear a colour of shirt that isn’t part of its flag.