The shirt of the São Paulo Football Club is widely recognized for its long tradition, with nearly 90 years of history and very few changes, making it one of the most iconic shirts in Brazilian football.
Do you want to know more about the origin and creation process of this classic tricolor shirt? BRG365 presents a detailed article on the history of this shirt.
The Origin of the São Paulo Shirt
The shirt of the São Paulo Football Club has maintained its structure unchanged since the club's founding in 1930, which is noteworthy. The first shirt represented the merger of two clubs: the Clube Atlético Paulista (represented by the red stripes) and the Palmeiras Atlético Clube (represented by the black stripes). In 1932, the club's secondary team began to wear the traditional vertically striped red, white, and black shirt.
Furthermore, it is important to highlight that the São Paulo Football Club has a special rule: the club's shirt must follow the traditional design. This rule is imposed by the club's statute, ensuring that the designs of the home and away shirts remain unchanged.
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1940 – Without a Crest
The first third shirt in the history of São Paulo was launched in 1940. Historical images from that time are black and white, but accounts from historians indicate that the shirt was black and white striped, with a red collar. According to Alexandre Giesbrecht, from the Jogo do São Paulo website, this shirt debuted in the game where São Paulo lost 2-0 to Flamengo.
1984/1985 – All White
In 1984 and 1985, São Paulo wore two completely white shirts. The first had thin stripes, and at the ends of the sleeves, there were the club's colors. According to historian Michael Serra, this shirt was inspired by that of New York Cosmos from the United States.
The second was also completely white, but with a different detail: the right sleeve was red and the left was black.
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2013 – All Red
On April 28, 2013, São Paulo faced Penapolense in the Paulista Championship wearing an all-red shirt, where the crest and sponsor were nearly invisible. This shirt was launched to celebrate the renovation of the seats at the Morumbi Stadium. The campaign slogan was “Red, the color of pride.”
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Why does São Paulo release similar uniforms every year?
The São Paulo Football Club launches similar shirts each year primarily to maintain respect for tradition and continuity of the club's history. Since its foundation, the shirt of São Paulo has practically not undergone major changes, especially regarding the use of stripes, which symbolize the club's long history. The red represents the Clube Atlético Paulista, and the black represents the Palmeiras Atlético Clube, which closed in 1928. The tricolor design originates from the merger of these two clubs.
The Evolution of the Tricolor Paulista Shirt
The main change to the São Paulo shirt occurred in 1983, when the white stripes became narrower, a design that was maintained in the following years. In 1966, the secondary team's shirt underwent a major change, with the shorts and socks switching from white to red, and then to black, according to the new standards of FIFA. The club has a rule prohibiting the use of a third shirt, but over time, alternative shirts have emerged, the first being in 1940, to commemorate special moments or tributes.
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