UEFA Rules Force Arsenal Into Rare All-Red Kit Against Napoli
Arsenal will be forced to wear a rare all-red kit when they face Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona tonight, with UEFA regulations leaving the Gunners no choice but to change from their usual colours.
The unusual kit combination has not been seen since 2022 and could be a positive omen for Mikel Arteta’s side, given Arsenal’s impressive record when wearing the strip.
The Gunners are beginning their Champions League campaign with a difficult trip to Italy, where they will take on Napoli in their opening group-stage fixture.
Why are Arsenal wearing red?
UEFA’s kit regulations mean Arsenal cannot wear their traditional home strip because Napoli’s home kit includes white shorts. To avoid a colour clash, Arsenal will instead take to the pitch in an all-red outfit.
This is not the first time the Gunners have had to make the switch against Napoli.
Arsenal previously wore an alternative kit during the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Napoli in 2019. They entered the game with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg and secured a 3-0 aggregate victory after Alexandre Lacazette scored the only goal of the return fixture.
The all-red combination was also worn during Arsenal’s 3-2 victory over Watford in 2022. Before that, they drew 1-1 with West Brom while wearing the same colours in 2017.
Interestingly, Arsenal’s youth side also wore the all-red strip against Napoli in the UEFA Youth League earlier on Wednesday and came away with a 2-1 victory.
Arsenal’s previous Champions League meetings with Napoli
The two clubs have met twice previously in the Champions League, with both encounters coming during the 2013/14 group stage.
Arsenal won the first meeting 2-0 at the Emirates, with Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud both finding the net inside the opening 15 minutes.
Napoli responded in the return fixture, winning 2-0 thanks to late goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon.
Allegri praises Arsenal ahead of showdown
Napoli will enter the match under new manager Massimiliano Allegri following Antonio Conte’s departure at the end of last season.
Allegri, who has previously managed Juventus and AC Milan, has already identified Arsenal’s defensive organisation as one of their biggest strengths.
Speaking before the match, he praised Arteta for improving Arsenal defensively and highlighted how difficult they are to break down.
The Napoli boss also acknowledged the added intensity that comes with Champions League football, insisting his team must approach the match with confidence, pride and ambition.
With Arsenal beginning another European campaign, their rare all-red kit will be hoping to bring the same fortune it has provided in previous appearances.
