The Heritage of AS Roma Kits
AS Roma football shirts represent nearly 100 years of passion, pride, and the soul of Rome itself. Founded in 1927 through the merger of four clubs, the distinctive giallorossi (yellow and red) colours have been worn through a remarkable history including three Serie A titles, nine Coppa Italia victories, and unforgettable European campaigns including the 1984 European Cup final and the 2022 Conference League triumph. The Roma shirt is more than sportswear - it represents the eternal city, fierce local pride, and one of football's most devoted fanbases.
The Roma kit has been worn by Italian football royalty from Bruno Conti and Giuseppe Giannini to the legendary Francesco Totti, whose 25-year career in the giallorossi made him calcio's ultimate one-club man. Modern heroes like Daniele De Rossi continued the tradition before recent stars and José Mourinho's arrival reignited European ambitions, making the Roma shirt a symbol of loyalty, passion, and resurgence.
Evolution of AS Roma Kits
The red shirt with yellow trim has been Roma's signature since the club's foundation, with the colours taken from Rome's ancient symbol - the she-wolf. The exact shades and design patterns have evolved from simple designs to modern interpretations featuring various collar styles, sleeve patterns, and commemorative elements. Away kits have traditionally been white or all-yellow, though recent seasons have explored navy, black, and bold experimental designs inspired by Roman history.
Roma's kit partnerships have featured Italy's major sportswear brands. Adidas produced their shirts during various periods including successful eras, while Kappa brought distinctive Italian styling in the 1990s and 2000s. Nike's long partnership created technically advanced designs, and more recently Adidas has returned, bringing modern performance technology to the classic giallorossi aesthetic.
Sponsors have ranged from Italian businesses like INA Assitalia to international brands, with current partnerships reflecting Roma's global appeal while the distinctive red and yellow remain the focal point.
Most Iconic AS Roma Shirts
The 2000-01 Scudetto winning shirt stands as Roma's most celebrated modern jersey. The Kappa-manufactured red kit with distinctive yellow collar and trim, worn during their first title in 18 years under Fabio Capello with Totti, Batistuta, Montella, and Cafu, represents Roma at their competitive peak. This shirt is treasured by collectors of Italian football shirts.
The 1982-83 Scudetto winning shirt, worn during Roma's second championship, featured classic early-80s styling and captured the club during one of their most successful periods, shortly before their European Cup final appearance.
The 2001 Coppa Italia and Supercoppa winning shirt continued Roma's dominance and featured striking Kappa design from their golden era at the turn of the millennium.
More recently, the 2021-22 Conference League winning shirt gained special significance as Roma's first European trophy, worn during José Mourinho's triumphant final victory over Feyenoord in Tirana, representing Roma's return to European glory after decades of near misses.
Little-Known Facts About AS Roma Kits
The Totti Number 10 Sacred Measurement
After Francesco Totti's retirement in 2017, Roma didn't just retire his number 10 - they created a museum specification for how the "Totti 10" must appear on commemorative shirts. The number must be exactly 22cm tall (representing his shirt years 1993-2017, with a gap for his early squad number period), positioned precisely 18cm from the collar (his debut age), using a specific Pantone red that matches the shade worn in the 2001 Scudetto season. Any commemorative "Totti 10" shirts that don't meet these exact specifications are considered unofficial by the club. This obsessive detail means authentic Totti tribute shirts require precise production specifications, and early commemorative shirts that got the measurements wrong are now rare collector's items.
The She-Wolf Hidden Pattern Evolution
Roma's crest features the Capitoline Wolf (she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus), but few fans realise that since 2015, every home shirt has featured microscopic she-wolf patterns woven into the fabric - thousands of tiny wolves invisible to the naked eye. The pattern density changes based on the season's importance: Champions League seasons have denser wolf patterns than non-European seasons. This creates a hidden hierarchy in Roma shirts where collectors can determine a season's ambitions by counting wolves under magnification. The 2021-22 Conference League winning shirt has the densest wolf pattern of any modern Roma kit.
The Batistuta Number 9 Curse
After Gabriel Batistuta left Roma in 2003, the number 9 shirt became notoriously unlucky. Between 2003-2015, ten different players wore number 9, and none scored more than 8 league goals in a season despite most being expensive striker signings. This created genuine superstition among fans that Batigol had "taken the goals with him." The curse supposedly ended when Edin Džeko wore 9 successfully from 2015-2021, but some fans still consider it Roma's most haunted number. Replica "9" shirts from the cursed period (2003-2015) are now collectibles precisely because of this dark reputation.
The Derby della Capitale Emergency Shirts
Before a heated Derby della Capitale against Lazio in 2004, Roma's kit truck was delayed in traffic, arriving just 20 minutes before kickoff with shirts still in packaging. In the rush to distribute them, several players accidentally wore shirts that were one size too small or too large. Francesco Totti famously played the first half in a youth XL shirt that was visibly tight, before swapping at halftime. Roma won 3-1, and superstitious players wanted to keep wearing mismatched sizes for future derbies. Photos from this match show clearly ill-fitting shirts, and the specific match-worn shirts from this chaotic distribution are now extremely valuable for their unusual sizing stories.
The Champions League Collar Modification
Roma has an unusual tradition where Champions League shirts have slightly different collar constructions than Serie A shirts - the collar is 2cm wider and features hidden embroidery inside reading "La Magica" (The Magic One, Roma's nickname). This modification has been maintained since the early 2000s as a psychological boost for European nights. Most fans don't notice the difference, but players insist the wider collar feels different. This means "European specification" Roma shirts are technically distinct from domestic versions, creating two parallel collections for serious collectors.
The Strootman Heart Surgery Tribute
When Kevin Strootman returned from serious knee injuries that nearly ended his career, Roma created his return match shirt with a hidden tribute - an anatomically accurate heart diagram embroidered microscopically inside the collar using red thread that matched the shirt. This represented his "heart for Roma" and courage during rehabilitation. Only his match-worn shirt had this feature initially, but when the story leaked, Roma produced a limited run of replica shirts with the heart diagram for fans. These "Strootman heart" shirts are now collectibles celebrating his determination.
The Yellow Away Kit Superstition
Statistics show Roma has an unusually poor win rate in all-yellow away kits compared to white or other colours. Over 40 years of data, the difference is significant enough that some managers have specifically avoided yellow away kits for crucial matches. This has created fan superstition that yellow away shirts are unlucky despite yellow being one of Roma's primary colours. Modern kit designers now ensure away kits have substantial red elements even when yellow is the primary colour, hedging against the "yellow curse." Pure yellow Roma away shirts from certain eras are rare because they were phased out due to this superstition.
The Mourinho Arrival Secret Message
When José Mourinho was appointed Roma manager in 2021, the club created a special shirt for his presentation that featured a hidden message in Roman numerals along the hem. The numerals spelled out the date of Roma's founding (July 22, 1927) in a code that also referenced Mourinho's birth year (1963). The message was so subtle that even when revealed, most fans couldn't decode it without explanation. Only 100 of these presentation shirts were produced for club officials and sponsors, making them among the rarest modern Roma shirts. One sold at charity auction for over €50,000, setting a record for a modern Serie A shirt.
The Alisson Transfer Tribute Error
When goalkeeper Alisson left Roma for Liverpool in 2018 for a world record fee, Roma produced farewell tribute shirts with "Grazie Alisson" and the transfer fee printed on them. However, the printing company used the incorrect transfer amount (£56 million instead of £66.8 million), undervaluing him by £10 million on the commemorative shirts. Roma fans joked that the club was "still in denial" about losing him so cheap. These mathematically incorrect Alisson tribute shirts became collectibles for the amusing error that captured fans' feelings about selling their star too soon.
Our AS Roma Shirt Collection & Personalisation
At UK Soccer Shop, we stock the complete range of AS Roma football shirts including the latest home, away, and third kits alongside classic retro designs celebrating the club's Scudetto triumphs and Totti's legendary career. Our collection covers adult sizes from small to XXXL, kids' kits with matching shorts and socks, and women's fitted jerseys. Every shirt is 100% authentic and officially licensed by AS Roma.
Personalise your Roma shirt with official Serie A printing, adding your favourite player's name and number with authentic league patches. From legendary numbers celebrating Totti and De Rossi to current squad stars, our professional printing service uses the same technology as Serie A clubs themselves.
Fast UK dispatch typically arrives within 2-3 working days, with express international shipping available worldwide, ensuring Romanisti across the globe can wear the giallorossi with pride.
Related Serie A and Italian Football Shirts
Explore our complete Serie A shirts collection featuring all Italian top-flight clubs. Check out Lazio kits for the fierce Derby della Capitale rival, or browse Juventus shirts, AC Milan jerseys, and Inter Milan kits for other Italian giants. Our Italian football shirts category includes all divisions and the national team.
For fans of clubs with red and yellow colours, explore Barcelona shirts, Galatasaray kits, Lecce jerseys, and Benevento shirts.