Manchester City continued a fantastic summer off the pitch as their new away kit broke club records ahead of its debut appearance.
Pep Guardiola and his first team will wear the red-and-black striped shirt for their first friendly of their pre-season tour when they take on Club America in Houston on Wednesday night. And the kit has already gone down a storm with supporters, with City selling more in the first day of sales than they did for any other kit — eclipsing the previous record set just last year with their all-white look.
Puma's latest effort harks back to a glorious era for the club in the late 1960s and early 1970s that included domestic and European glory when coach Malcolm Allison insisted on the colours having been taken by the all-conquering AC Milan side at that time. The Blues also took inspiration from that kit in the 2011/12 season when they won their first Premier League title.
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City's home kit for the upcoming season also borrows from that era, with a badge placed in the centre, a maroon trim, and a crown stitched into the neck of the shirt in tribute to the club's greatest ever player Colin Bell. That broke the record for most home shirts sold in an opening day, with Bell one of the most popular names that fans opted to get on the back.
As the club celebrates its past, Guardiola is cracking on to prepare for the future. Oleksandr Zinchenko is the third senior departure from the first team squad this summer following exits for Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, while the Blues are aiming to make Marc Cucurella their fifth major signing of the window to replace the Ukranian.
