Football
Chris Wright, Toe Poke writer 4y

Euro 2020 kits: Germany, Spain, Italy among stunning new jerseys revealed

Euro 2020 could be the most stylish tournament yet if these new kits are anything to go by...

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Jump to: Guardiola and Klopp both could have been happier at final whistle | Leicester celebrations channel The Lion King in Arsenal win | Mourinho's worries crack up Chelsea coach | Giant holographic lion raises bar for stadium openings everywhere

With the tournament now just seven short months away, Adidas have unleashed the first batch of their official home shirts for Euro 2020 (stream qualifying and finals matches live on ESPN+ in the U.S.).

Several nations including Spain, Germany, Belgium and Russia have been presented with their new jerseys.

All the designs are inspired by the same central concept: the point at which art meets football.

Spain

Reverting to the classic red-and-yellow palette of yore, the new Spain shirt features an original, hand-painted abstract deconstruction of the national flag.

The fine detailing also includes the number "1920" printed on the neck in reference to the 100th anniversary of the Spanish Football Federation launching their first-ever recognised shirt.

Germany

As handsome and understated as ever, the new Germany shirt boasts a hand-painted pinstripe design running horizontally across the body, with the national colours of black, red and gold relocated to the sleeves.

Indeed, Die Mannschaft's long run of beautifully minimalist national team jerseys looks set to continue into 2020.

Belgium

Belgium's latest kit is a celebration of the "strong and progressive" colours used on the nation's flag with an added diagonal brushstroke flourishes.

The Red Devils' all-new, reconfigured team crest also sees the aforementioned colours used to create the letter "B," which is also echoed in a similar design detail on the back of the neck.

Sweden

An exercise in class and modernity, the new Sweden shirt is pared down and tinged with retro appointments, including that classic blocky V-neck.

The sleeve cuffs also feature a modernist interpretation of the Swedish flag while the word "Sverige" is printed across the back of the neck.

Russia

The Russia shirt also heralds the return of the oversized V-neck along with a hand-painted graphic that covers the majority of the body.

Blue and white blocks of colours are also added to the sleeves as a "symbol of unity amongst players and fans."

Wales

Welsh culture is celebrated with the Dragons' latest offering, with the red and yellow detailing taking inspiration from the famous sigil of 15th century Welsh revolutionary Owain Glyndwr.

As well as paying homage to national colours, the sleeve cuff also mirrors the design seen on the bucket hat favoured by Wales fans, which is certain to go down well on the terraces.

Hungary

The Magyars new shirt is a bold red design with green trim and a spray-paint style graphic inspired by the mighty River Danube, which flows through the heart of the land.

To help complete the design, a "Magyarorszag" [the Hungarian word for Hungary] detail has also been placed on the back of the neck.

Italy

Not to be left out, Puma also unveiled their latest creation for the Italian national team on Monday too, the latest in their Renaissance-inspired run.

As with the green shirt that preceded it, the accompanying white jersey features a modern take on historic Italian art which they say "celebrates the hopes and aspirations of a new generation of Azzuri players."

Guardiola and Klopp both could have been happier at final whistle

Liverpool pulled away from the chasing pack at the summit of the Premier League by virtue of a comprehensive win over rivals Manchester City on Sunday.

Though not without controversy, the Reds cantered to a 3-1 victory on home soil which, among other things, preserved Jurgen Klopp's impressively immaculate record against Pep Guardiola.

The City manager has now lost all eight matches in which he's come up against Klopp -- three more than any other coach -- a wretched record that seems to be gnawing on Guardiola's nerves ever so slightly given his behaviour at Anfield.

The defeat condemned Guardiola to what is officially his worst ever start to a top-flight season as a manager, having taken just 25 points from his opening 12 games.

It's also the first time he's been more than three points off the top of the table at the same juncture, and things are obviously getting a little tense.

Firstly, the video you've no doubt seen a hundred times already: Guardiola politely informing the fourth official how many penalties he would have liked to seen City awarded.

That last exasperated scream into the ether is a work of performance art.

Pep was also quite visibly in maximum "sore loser" mode when he ventured over to shake the officials' hands after the final whistle, thanking Michael Oliver from the bottom of his heart.

Despite evidence to the contrary, the City boss insisted his overwrought handshake wasn't disrespectful toward Oliver and his team.

"No, I was not sarcastic," he said. "It was 'thank you very much.' All the time when I speak to referees and my colleagues I say 'thank you and good luck.'"

Guardiola also revealed that he had told his players not to tweet about the decisions given (or not, as the case may be) or to voice their frustrations in any way.

"Heads up, guys," he told his team. "Do not to use the social media to say your thoughts on some departments. Talk about how good the football was."

The result saw Liverpool once again demonstrate their outstanding Premier League home dominance over City, having now gone 17 games (12 wins, five draws) without defeat at Anfield -- an extended run which dates way back to May 2003.

However, Jurgen Klopp didn't escape without having his patience tested, most notably by the pesky Steadi-Cam operators who swarmed around him as he celebrated at full-time.

The cameramen apparently tried to encourage Klopp to fist pump for effect directly down their lens, only to be told "I'm not your clown" by the indignant German.

Quite right.

Still, the smile was soon back on the German's face when he spoke to a reporter from Eurosport Romania, who presented him with a traditional Romanian hat known as a clop. Its recipient reacted much as you might expect.

In his postmatch press conference, Klopp attempted to quash talk of the title race already being over.

"We want to be first in May and not only in November," the Reds manager said, adding that the eight-point gap between his side and Leicester City in second place seemed "crazy".

If they keep playing like they're playing, then it's difficult to see where points are going to be dropped.

They might be champions-in-waiting by March at this rate.

Leicester celebrations channel The Lion King in Arsenal win

Leicester City continued their fine run of form by beating Arsenal 2-0 at the weekend to go second in the Premier League.

In front of a buoyant King Power crowd, James Maddison scored the Foxes' second goal which earned him a special celebration from defender Caglar Soyuncu.

Indeed, perhaps in homage to "The Lion King," the Turkish centre-back presented Maddison to the fans like Rafiki hoisting Simba aloft above Pride Rock.

A special moment, though whether Maddison goes on to become ruler of all the light touches very much depends on Leicester's form for the remainder of the season.

Mourinho's worries crack up Chelsea coach

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has voiced his concerns over his old team under Frank Lampard, despite the latter's team beating Crystal Palace 2-0 at the weekend.

Appearing on Sky Sports as a pundit, Mourinho congratulated Lampard on the work he's done with the Blues thus far before criticising the young side's record against more prominent opposition, namely Liverpool, Manchester United and Ajax.

"After the first weekend [a 4-0 defeat against United], I was worried and I am still worried about the big matches," Mourinho said, before identifying Chelsea's lack of pragmatism in big games.

This was enough to earn him a hearty laugh from assistant manager Jody Morris, who just saw his side win their sixth consecutive Premier League game to go joint-second in the table.

Of course, Mourinho has a point, but it's perhaps not entirely fair to expect a team with an average age of 24 to be going toe-to-toe with heavyweights less than half a season into Lampard's tenure.

Giant holographic lion raises bar for stadium openings everywhere

Estudiantes de la Plata recently returned to their home stadium for the first time in 16 years and it's fair to say the club laid on a special event to celebrate.

The Argentinian side surprised fans by unleashing a gigantic holographic lion at the Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi ahead of Friday night's Superliga tie against Talleres de Cordoba.

The stadium was closed in 2005 after newly introduced regulations meant its wooden stands were no longer deemed safe for use.

Estudiantes relocated to the municipal stadium across town while demolition and renovation work took place.

Fifteen long years later, they (and their enormous flame-spewing mascot) are finally back where they belong.

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