AC Milan Away 11/12 Jersey with Ibrahimovic #11 Customization Review
Today, I will be reviewing AC Milan’s away kit for the current season, among their greatest away kits in recent memory. Alongside my study of the jersey, I will be talking about the greater value of the customization on this kit, the name and number of the invincible Swede striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the power of his presence in AC Milan’s squad. You will be getting some insight into the player that has earned his place among football’s modern legends and his impressive run in Milan’s 10/11 and 11/12 seasons. As always, thank you to MMSports for this unique opportunity, now let us get this review started!
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AC Milan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic
If you know AC Milan, then surely you have heard of their latest exploits in competitions around the football world, and where you hear “Milan”, you hear the name, “Ibrahimovic”. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an international football superstar, a player of the Swedish national side and the goal-scoring machine of AC Milan, the latest of renowned clubs he has played for over the years. Look back at the clubs he has played for and you will get a great perspective of this man’s skill, Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Juventus, to name a few. In football terms, Ibrahimovic is a household name; he is an incredible striker and performs with an impressive skillset unique to his style. There are never enough words to describe Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but one fact could sum it all up; “Ibra” is on a victorious streak of eight straight league titles, and that is with five different clubs.
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(Image Sources, Clockwise from Top-Left: nikemercurialiii.com, themalaysianinsider.com, bleacherreport.net, ibnlive.in.com.)
So what does Ibrahimovic mean to AC Milan? Many could argue that the 2010/2011 Serie A league title could be attributed to Ibrahimovic’s stellar performance supporting the club all season long; I am among those who believe it. His presence has been felt all around the AC Milan fan base, as well as the squad itself. He has brought confidence and great success to a side that desperately needed to hit the reset button after many losses, both trophies and matches, to Inter Milan, the club’s bitter rivals. His talents on the field have been compared to that of a conductor; he has attacking vision that relates to that of Ronaldinho, setting up goals and movements that would seem otherwise impossible. He commands influence on the field.
Now, it is time to look a bit deeper.
After all that I have mentioned, how is it that this player’s name is not so frequently brought up when searching for players? Why is it that Ibrahimovic is more feared than other players? Let us face it, Ibrahimovic scares other teams, and it is easy to see why. For all of the skills he enacts upon the ball, he occasionally reveals a perilous temper. It has been said that Ibra plays well when he is angry; frustration does sometimes bring the best out of him, but it also brings the worst. He was suspended twice last season, and though a bit harsh of a punishment, he faced a three-match suspension after a cheeky slap in a clash with Napoli recently. His antics have been part of the reason that, though well-known and incredible as a player, Ibrahimovic is never brought into the “Messi vs. Ronaldo” discussion. Both of those players are also goal-scoring machines, but besides having more of a striking mentality and less of a dynamic support role, they also flare up less than Ibrahimovic does.
The 2011/2012 AC Milan Away Jersey
Now with a brief look into the modern marvel that is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, it is time to take a look at the kit that sports his name and number.
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The Look
The 11/12 Away Kit for AC Milan is stellar. As is the case with most of Milan’s previous away kits, the jersey is all white with black and red details. The big new look this year around is the vertical stripe, half-red, half-black, running down the left-side of the front, right underneath the club’s emblem. The cool design shows an asymmetrical look that adds a striking uniqueness to the jersey and makes it more appealing than past Milan away jerseys. The “Fly Emirates” sponsor text, as well as the Adidas logo, are shaded in Milan’s particular red; last year the Adidas logo, as well as the general secondary color of the away kit, was actually black. Last year’s low collar has been scrapped for a more athletic neckpiece and the signature Adidas three-stripe design that runs down the shoulders are “Red/Black/Red”, another attractive visual aspect that does carry over from last year’s jersey. Lastly, a thin red trim runs around at the end of the sleeve.
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On the back, the top is adorned with this year’s exquisite “Associazione Calcio Milan” tag, written in gold with a thin, tiled Italian flag design beneath it. Just like on the AC Milan 11/12 home jersey, a thin strip painted with the national colors of Italy runs down the sides all the way to the bottom, a detail that is as subtle and elegant as it was when first seen on the home jersey. The customization is very attention-grabbing on the away kit; the name and number are in a rounded, somewhat fat font that emphasizes the boldness of the content. Both the name and number are a deep red outlined thinly in black, putting even more attention in the red details of this kit. It has a more AC Milan feel than the white away kits of the past with black details.
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The Fit
AC Milan’s new away kit has quickly become an athletic favorite to me. The jersey is of Adidas’ thinner, more heat friendly line of tops and it is easily felt. It has a less obtrusive feel than the home one, and the pointed collar calls for less hindering of movement of the head. Around the stripes of the shoulders and underneath the arms, the mesh segments of the Adidas Climacool technology help keep you cooler in the heat, and as the unusual Summer weather runs by here in America’s Midwest region, I’ve had a good chance to check it out.
Many Adidas jerseys, such as this one, are designed with longer torso shapes and I am a big fan of this choice. The jersey runs farther down but is a very good fit on the upper-torso and chest. If you prefer tightness all around, there are always Tech-Fit and Authentic variants, but for the more casual, shirt-like fit, these jerseys are the way to go. Adidas has done a great job here, as they have with the home and third jerseys of AC Milan.
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Ibrahimovic and the Future of AC Milan
The kit is really polished, and with a brief technical view of it out of the way, I can look one last time at the spirit of the name and number customization I have for review here. You have read but a taste of what Ibrahimovic’s run up to Milan has been like, and now here is a short look at the future of AC Milan with their number 11, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
AC Milan was matched with Barcelona for the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals draw, a setup that will play into Ibra’s hands seeing how his rocky time at Barcelona would be best put away with a victory over them. There is no doubt that he will be the Milan player to watch over both matches against the Spanish giants. Past that, Serie A is full of tough matches with teams like Roma, Lazio, Inter Milan, and Juventus, and Ibrahimovic will have to show his skills to help push the team forward. Of course, it is not a solo effort, but I for one believe that a good presence can uplift everyone, and Ibrahimovic is known for injecting life into the field. AC Milan will be the club to watch in Italy, with their Serie A league strong, at the moment, and players like Ibrahimovic shining in the form of their lives. There’s never been a better time to sport his name and number.
Conclusion
AC Milan’s Away jersey for the 2011/2012 jersey is a testament to all of the away kits the club has ever had. It is a clean, sporty top with a simple and abstract design that brings the best out of the club’s secondary colors. It fits very well with a slightly longer and looser feel than other jerseys but the right shape and material to keep you cool while you watch or while you play. I place the kit among the best of Milan away shirts in recent memory.
On the subject of Ibrahimovic, he is a start-studded player with many trophies and titles to his name. He brings an attitude and intimidation factor to the field of football that is still unchallenged today, and he sports the attacking vision and skill that combine to make a unique player versatile in many areas. He has proven to be a respectable player, when you do not push his buttons, and he continues to highlight Milan’s performances in Serie A as well as other competitions. At the age of 30, Ibrahimovic will soon be waning down the last few years of his playing career, as in this sport, most players fade out in their 30’s, but this man’s legacy surely will not. Look for him to win this year’s Serie A title once again with AC Milan, and I assure you that he, and the rest of the club, will put up a spectacle of a fight for the Champions League trophy. Thank you for reading and thank you MMSports for this chance to mix things up!