Arsenal have forced Adidas to stop selling their new shirt after eagle-eyed fans spotted a blunder in its design.
It has been reported that Adidas made a notable mistake on the authentic version of the home shirt for the upcoming Premier League season.
In May, the Gunners unveiled their new kit, paying homage to the Invincibles from the Premier League 2003-04 campaign.
This is in celebration of the campaign’s 20th anniversary in the upcoming season.
Arsene Wenger orchestrated the historic achievement as Arsenal remained unbeaten throughout the entire Premier League season.
The new shirt was designed to commemorate the achievement of 20 years ago, with stitches on the white trim on the side.
The record of 26 wins and 12 draws was intended to be embroidered onto the jersey in chronological order, but it appears that a mistake was made during the process.
Some observant fans noticed the problem and revealed the error in the design while expressing their disappointment.
The eagle-eyed fans have pointed out that the tape on the shirt only shows 32 W/D (wins/draws), which is not the complete record of 38 games from the legendary Invincible season.
The absence of certain matches has led to inquiries regarding whether this was an unintentional error on the part of Adidas, the manufacturer of the kit, or a purposeful choice made by Arsenal.
The discrepancy becomes apparent when the last four games of the season are not taken into account, which includes draws against Portsmouth and Birmingham.
In addition, it appears that two wins from the team’s nine consecutive wins during games 21-29 are unaccounted for.
The tape is supposed to have six letters that are missing, resulting in incomplete information.
The fans’ reaction
Arsenal fans have expressed their disappointment and frustration, sharing their personal experiences of incorrect taping on their shirts.
One fan pointed out that their kit shows “WWWWDD” instead of the correct “WWWWWWDD,” suggesting that there is an error in the record.
Another fan wrote: “Both of mine only have 32. Bit confusing why they have done this. Surely must be an error by @adidasfootball and @Arsenal.”
One fan also said: “£110 for that kit should be spot on it’s beyond a joke how they have got it wrong.”
Another one noted: “Pretty disappointing but put it this way. If they reproduce (highly doubt it) to show all 38, then the ‘32 fixture’ shirt will be a rarity and collectible!”
Arsenal’s comment on the blunder
The shirt is currently unavailable for purchase on both Adidas and Arsenal’s websites.
However, Arsenal have apologized to their fans on the design error with their new shirt and have promised to refund fans that have ordered for the kits.
The club sent an email to SunSport stating that they have discovered a design error with the current 23/24 Authentic Home Shirt.
The email read: “Unfortunately, we are unable to fulfill your order at this time.”
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We will cancel your order and provide a full refund. We are currently in the process of reviewing the release date for the new 23/24 Authentic Home Shirts.”
The Arsenal website also indicates that the shirt is currently out of stock and will be available for purchase shortly.
The club’s email further read: “However, in the meantime, we would like to inform you that the 23/24 Replica Home Shirts are currently available and ready to be shipped.”
On the Adidas website, only the standard version is available for purchase and not the authentic one.
It is yet to be determined whether Arsenal or Adidas will take action to address this matter and offer an explanation or solution for fans who desire a precise depiction of the Invincible season on their jerseys.
What are your thoughts on the reasons behind this error? Please share your thoughts in the comments section provided below.
