Manchester United have been forced to make a change to one of their kits before the season has even kicked off in order to avoid breaking UEFA rules. The club’s new third strip was released last week.
It features three eye-catching central logos: the Red Devil crest, a Snapdragon fireball emblem and an Adidas three-stripe logo. It marks a rapid departure from the club's home and away kits this season, as it doesn't feature 'Snapdragon' written across the front of the shirt.
UEFA Consistency Rule
The Old Trafford outfit have explained that they will have to alter the shirt for the Champions League. This means United's third shirt in Europe will feature the Snapdragon wordmark, the same as their home and away strip, and not the Snapdragon symbol.
UEFA insist that jerseys worn in the Champions League must all be consistent with one another, meaning United's third kit must stay consistent with their home and away.
Club Statement
A club statement read: "You have probably noticed that there is a different look to the latter, too. Our new third shirt doesn't feature the traditional 'Snapdragon' wordmark, yet the sponsor is still recognisable through its fireball, which has been ever-present on United's jerseys since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
"On our latest release, it forms part of an aesthetic three-pronged design down the centre of the shirt, done in agreement with adidas and Snapdragon to provide the jersey with a fresh style and clean look that is unique for this season.
"The Reds are due to sport the jersey when required across domestic competition this term, although UEFA rules mean that the 'Snapdragon' wordmark will be added to our players' shirts for any Champions League matches it is worn in.
"This is because the same version of a logo must be used across all of a club's kits in the tournament, so the sponsor on the third strip needs to match that on our new home and away releases, which feature the wordmark."
Sponsorship and Season Ahead
Snapdragon have been the club's primary sponsor since the beginning of the 2024/25 season. Sportswear giant Adidas signed a 10-year deal with United in 2023 worth a staggering £900million.
Michael Carrick's side will kick off their Premier League season with an away trip to newly-promoted Hull on Saturday. They end the summer having suffered two defeats in pre-season against Wrexham and Milan, but they secured wins against Rosenborg and Atletico Madrid, and drew against Paris Saint-Germain and Leeds.
"I think, as a whole, it's been good," Carrick told MUTV. "I think there are a lot of positives to take from it. I think a lot of the performances, I think the group has grown and got stronger.
"But on the whole, we're ready for next week. I think a lot of the boys will be better for the minutes, and as I said, we've done a lot of work on the training pitch. I think the performances in the games have been pretty good, so we're still in good spirits going into next week."
United are also back amongst Europe's elite for the first time in three years. They will find out their Champions League fate when the fixture list for the league phase is drawn on August 26. The club will be in pot two. United will play eight league games, four at home and four away, but will not face another Premier League side.
