It is generally good advice for football fans to take all rumors with a grain of salt. If Chelsea FC had signed every player they were linked with through the rumor mill, the Blues would win every match by four goals and have 100 players in the squad.
In the case of kits, kit sponsors, and kit manufacturers however, these rumors and leaks are usually spot on. The rumors that Chelsea FC were switching to Yokohama turned out to be true and kit designs often leak months before they are actually released.
The most recent leak in the Twittersphere is just one photo and not of the whole kit, but it shows enough to give us an insight on a small change the Blues will be making.
Many fans were upset enough with the switch to Yokohama from the clean Samsung logo and were even more peeved by the inclusion of “Tyres” on the kit. It looks clunky and the use of two lines on the kit makes it dominate what is an otherwise simple shirt.
Halftime read: Chelsea 16-17 Home Kit - First details on colors & design: https://t.co/kLPS2lF6J3
— Footy Headlines (@Footy_Headlines) November 29, 2015
The change is subtle but the difference it makes is enormous. By cutting out “Tyres”, the logo is back on a single line even with the oversized “Y” on the left side. That makes all the difference as it makes the logo and the kit simpler and more sleek.
Another small change that we can see from the single photo is the inclusion of a pattern made up of the Chelsea FC lion. Instead of the subtle stripes in some shape or form we have come to expect, the diamond pattern made up of the lions is reminsicent of brands such as Louis Vuitton and is an Adidas design cue also used on the new Russia kits.
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This leak hints at yet another well done kit by Adidas who have given us some classic home and away kits over the years. Supporters would buy the kit regardless of what it looks like but it is nice to see them try new things every season.