When NYCFC released their inaugural kit today, along with sponsor Etihad Airways, it was clear the message they were sending: they have embraced the connection with its co-owners.
Etihad, which sponsors Manchester City’s kits, are front and center on the NYCFC shirt which is almost literally a Manchester City shirt with the logo swapped out.
David Villa was on hand to help reveal the kits, while Frank Lampard was in attendance only on the big screen as he is currently with the England squad.
The NYCFC official website has a “detailed” description of the kit, which points out four tiny original points of the kit, three of which are badges (team crest, MLS logo, and inaugural season logo), and one of which is on the inside of the shirt.
Oh, and the inaugural season logo looks eerily similar to the New York Yankees patch for the first season of the new Yankee Stadium, which was also inspired by the subway, as NYCFC claims its patch to be.
The only major difference doesn’t really end up being that major. Adidas is the kit maker for NYCFC, as they are with all of MLS, while Nike does the Manchester City ones, but even that hardly translates into any viable difference. There are minor variations such as the neck lining color or the white Adidas stripes on the upper sleeves. Otherwise, there’s no difference whatsoever, and at short glance they look exactly the same.
Here are some pictures from those actually in attendance:
And finally, the moment of the reveal:
So, with the new kit, NYCFC now has the look of a minor league club for Manchester City. So much for a unique identity.
The NYCFC official Twitter account claimed “there’s only one first kit” but it would appear that’s not always the case, when your first kit is already in use across the pond.
