AIK Special Edition Champions Football Shirt

Finally. After nine years of coming so close to lifting the biggest trophy in Swedish football, AIK are Allsvenskan champions once again. And what better way to celebrate than with a special edition Black/Gold shirt courtesy of Nike.

If you don’t know the story, picture this. AIK, one of Sweden’s foremost clubs, haven’t won the league since 2009. They’ve finished second in 2011, 2013, 2016, and 2017, each time just not quite having enough staying power to see off their title rivals. The fans, understandably, are restless.

So it is that they approach the final day of the 2018 season with no little trepidation. They’re top of the league, and need only a point away at mid-table Kalmar to ensure a first title for nearly a decade, but a point is still a point – the players will have to perform, and the fans will have to do their bit too.

Ninety minutes and a flicked Robin Jansson header later, the fans aren’t just doing their bit, they’re on the pitch, wildly celebrating a one-nil victory that’s seen them win the league with room to spare. Nervous? Nah, never in doubt. If anyone deserves a special edition shirt, it’s this lot.

Let’s take a closer look at the shirt then, starting with the badge. These days, allowing fans the opportunity to design a new club crest is often a recipe for disaster; not so in 1898, when AIK supporter Fritz Carlsson-Carling created what was later voted “the most beautiful crest in football”. The badge remains the same today, executed here in the traditional yellow, blue, and gold.

The shirt also features classic “AIK” lettering across the chest in recognition of the club’s shirt in the 1900 season – the first time they won the Swedish league title – along with a gold Swoosh. It’s the little details that make the difference here though, and there are a couple of good’uns. In between the crest and the Swoosh, there’s a “SVENSKA MASTARE” (Swedish champions) callout, while “THE MOMENT OF TRUTH” is written on the inside back collar, referencing AIK’s momentous final-day triumph.

Nike seem to love making bespoke kits for AIK – you might remember the Black Pack, and then the White Pack, released earlier this year – and we can’t blame them when they’re this good. While those two previous special edition shirts were inspired by the past, however, the new Black/Gold Champions design is all about the present, and a day that will live long in the memory of football fans everywhere.

The special edition Nike AIK 18/19 Champions Shirt was available in strictly limited numbers at prodirectsoccer.com, but you were too slow – it's sold out! Check out our Replica section to see if there's something else that catches your eye.