LALIGA
Why are Real Madrid playing in last season’s purple away kit against Valencia in LaLiga?
Los Blancos return to Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, where forward Vinicius Jr was subject to horrific racist abuse in last year’s fixture.
Real Madrid took on Valencia on Saturday, looking to reiterate their status as favourites for the LaLiga title. Carlos Ancelotti’s side were six points ahead of second-placed Girona ahead of this weekend’s fixtures and managed to come away with a point in a game that was plastered in controversy.
In the build-up to the game Real Madrid shocked supporters by revealing that they will be wearing the purple change kit used by the team in 2022/23. It is extremely rare for teams to sport an old kit, so the decision left many Madridistas scratching their heads.
This year Real Madrid’s away kit is dark navy and their third kit is all black. Either of those kits would have provided a contrast to the white Valencia shirts but not to the dark shorts in their home kit.
The club has not issued an official statement on the decision but sources have confirmed to AS USA that the return to last year’s kit was necessary to avoid a kit clash with the opposition.
In the past Madrid have mixed and matched between different kits to find a suitable contrast to the opposition’s outfit. This time, however, they have opted to go back to last season’s wardrobe to find a solution for this weekend’s game.
Real Madrid supporters speculate about jersey change
While the decision to revert to a 2022/23 kit does make sense, not all Real Madrid fans have reached that conclusion. Some online have suggested that Madrid are wearing last year’s jersey to make reference to a shocking series of incidents that happened in this fixture between the two teams in 2022/23, when Madrid were wearing the purple away kit.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was subject to racist chanting at Mestalla, both before and during the game. He appealed to the referee for some action to be taken against one fan in particular, who Vinicius identified making a ‘monkey’ gesture towards him. Vinicius has often been subject to racist chanting during his time in Spain.
Ahead of this weekend’s game head coach Carlo Ancelotti said that his team ‘would not forget’ the abuse that Vinicius was subjected to in this stadium last year. Using the old kit would certainly be a nod back to the events of April 2023.