Chelsea have released their second kit of the summer and, unfortunately, it's another underwhelming event even with the launch's stirring pledge to "unleash the lion."
The Blues have followed up on their mediocre 2026-27 home shirt with an away jersey to match.
Perhaps that's why they've chosen to unveil it in the dark.
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Built upon a plain black base, the visual interest is added in yellow with a laurel wreath pattern applied around the collar and sleeve cuffs, and thin piping applied to the flanks and shoulders.
There is also texturing to the material thanks to some subtle ribbing and flocking, although it's difficult to make out much of that from the sepia-drenched photos used for the launch campaign.
Much like the corresponding home shirt, the away design features the same minimal re-working of the Blues' club crest. Almost all of the peripheral detail has been stripped away to leave behind the rampant lion standing alone.
The black and yellow colorway is a deliberate choice, presented as an homage to the yellow kits worn by Chelsea during their mid-1990s renaissance, when a raft of exotic Italian players such as Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Di Matteo joined the club and became legends at Stamford Bridge.
It's just a shame that they couldn't muster a better kit out of the concept.
