Chelsea 2021/22 Nike away kit leaked ahead of release

The official release of Chelsea’s 2021/22 home kit back in May set the tone for the year to come in football fashion. Nike is going to have some off-the-wall designs for Blues supporters to look forward to in this season’s collection. The home kit was inspired by Op-Art movement of the ’60s in London and features a plethora of clashing geometric designs. It’s not for everyone, but there’s no denying it is eye-popping. The secondary color on the home threads also gave fans a subtle sneak peak at things to come.

The unconventional yellow stripe down the side and in subtle places around the shirt replaced white as the Blues’ secondary color on the primary jersey for this season. Yellow is also the color of the team’s 2021/22 away kits that were leaked online via a fan’s photo outside of the Chelsea Megastore at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s 2021/22 away kit has been leaked on social media ahead of its release.

Footy Headlines confirmed the leaks with updated recent photos of the uniform plans. The Blues’ away threads will be primarily yellow with a hint of black in the form of thin stripes wrapping horizontally around the shirt. All three logos on the front—Chelsea, Nike and Three—will be in black, as will the Hyundai logo on the left arm. It’ll also feature a black neck lining and trim around the sleeve openings. The team’s secondary look will be completed with a pair of black shorts and yellow socks, according to the aforementioned reliable kit website.

In typical Justin Timberlake fashion, Chelsea is bringing the sexy back (yeah). The yellow kits have typically been some of the club’s best over the years. The last time the Blues donned yellow away shirts was during Maurizio Sarri’s time in charge, when his side won the 2018/19 Europa League. Those kits, albeit simple, are widely regarded as some of the best Nike has created during its five years as Chelsea’s uniform producer. Other notable yellow alternate jerseys featured in 2014/15 when the Blues won the Premier League, 2012/13 when the club lifted its first Europa League title and the 2008/09 season. The irregular color featured on Chelsea threads for the first time on the jerseys worn from 1981 to 1983.

While this kit is no instant classic, supporters can hopefully appreciate the simplicity of it. Memorable uniforms are either timeless from the get-go or made famous through the team’s achievements. Unfortunately it seems as if this year’s will have to hang on to the hopes of the latter. Nevertheless, seeing as the Blues are the reigning Champions of Europe, the expectations are quite high and that is a real possibility. Could this kit become a nostalgic masterpiece in a few decades’ time? We’ll have to wait and see.

There is no known release date for the 21/22 away kits. However, it can be inferred that the threads’ inclusion outside the megastore precedes a debut on Sunday against Arsenal in The Mind Series. The Blues typically wear their home uniforms when facing off against the Gunners, they could switch it up on this preseason trip to The Emirates though. It’d likely be the team’s last chance to debut them before the start of the Premier League campaign with a home clash versus Tottenham and a date with the Yellow Submarine (Villarreal) in the Super Cup coming up.

What do you think of Chelsea’s new away kit? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!