
It’s Coming Home… to Genoa: Serie A Side Celebrate English Roots With New Away Kit
Are Genoa becoming the masters of the tribute kit? From Boca Juniors to England, the team from Liguria have started a trend of releasing stunning alternative kits with more than a nod to another team.
Let’s take a deeper look, starting with the incredible new ‘It’s Coming Home’ design that celebrates links between London and Liguria.
St George’s Cross
The giant red cross dominates the new Genoa away jersey, set on a white backdrop, with white shorts and socks. They have allowed for a little gold trim but clearly this strip is all about the St George’s cross, which is also a symbol of the Italian city. And the marketing campaign was shot in London.
You can find St George’s cross on the city coat of arms and the Genoa club badge, next to the griffon. The Republic of Genoa would fly the St George’s cross on their ships to protect them as far back as the middle ages. This is more than just a gesture to their links with England. It’s part of their own heritage too. Genoa is the oldest football club in Italy.
The new Genoa design is similar to the Inter Milan alternative strip of 2007, another St George’s cross. Milan is another city with historical links to that symbol and England itself. Inter produced that design almost two decades ago, while AC Milan and the city of Milan itself have St George’s cross on their respective emblems.
Genoa and England
Genoa have branded the release of this new jersey ‘It’s Coming Home’. It’s a fantastic ploy to sell shirts in England, and the visuals will do no harm there either. Genoa shot the new kit amidst a backdrop of England flags at the now famous Kirby Estate in London, where the flats are draped in red and white flags and bunting all year round.
The new jersey “celebrates the deep bond between Genoa and the Anglo-Saxon world,” says the official press release. “It’s coming home recalls the English origins of the club and pays tribute to the journey of football, born in England and symbolically ‘returned’ to its Italian home: Genoa CFC.”
Genoa, like many clubs outside of England, was founded by Englishmen. Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club was established in 1893. In the early years the club focused on cricket and athletics before football.
Initially, locals were not allowed to play for Genoa. It was a club for the English community abroad and they usually wore white away shirts in honour of England. How curious that Genoa was set up by the English, but Boca Juniors was set up by the Genoese.
Genoa and Boca Juniors
Back in March, Genoa released a fourth kit to celebrate their bond with Boca Juniors and celebrate the South American club’s 120th anniversary. Now it’s a smart St George’s cross design with a strong English connection. What’s next?
From Venezia’s famously handsome designs, to Bohemians of Dublin and their collaborations with bands, clubs can elevate their global brand by having the most news-worthy kits in the business.
Genoa are very good at catching this very wave.
Around the late 19th and early 20th century more than two million Italians set sail for Argentina. A handful of those were Genoese boys who would become the founders of Club Atlético Boca Juniors. Another bond fixed by history. Genoa celebrated that with the release of the classic blue and yellow Boca Juniors design at the end of last season.
Boca Juniors and Genoa are linked by the nickname ‘Xeneize,’ which refers to the wider fanbase and family that is Boca and is often printed on the back of their shirts.
But what does it mean? Xeneize literally means ‘from Genoa.’ It comes from the word ‘Zeneize’ which has the same meaning in the local dialect of Liguria. Now, 120 years on from Boca’s foundation, it is common to hear cries of ‘Vamos Xeneize’ in La Bombonera.
Before the Boca kit, Genoa had already roped in wrestling superstar The Undertaker to launch their third strip last term. The WWE icon posed in the strip, which is mainly black with a yellow trim, wearing a bandana.
The club said at the time: “The entertainment, music, artists and sports genre is enriched with the wrestling champion Undertaker. He is in the Olympus of ring legends in a beloved and transgenerational sport.”
That design was part of the ‘Golden Dark Side of Genoa’ campaign, which kicked off in 2023 with the help of Rita Ora. The singer, actress and reality television show judge was pictured in the gold top produced to celebrate the club’s 130th anniversary.
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