What happens to football kits after the game

A lot of football kits are made each season, with a lot of teams getting one-three kits each season. One home kit, an away kit and a third alternate kit.

These jerseys or kits are to be used throughout the season by each team. The home kit is used when a team plays at home, the away kit is used when the teams play away and the third alternate kit, is used when the team’s home and away kits clashes with that of their opponents.

We see footballers use these kits during a game and every season and after the match, a lot happens, Sometimes we see players swap shirts, some give their shirts to fans and others go back to the dressing room with their full kits.

And just like me, you may have wondered what really happens to football kits after the game? Do they wash them and re-use them or do they sell them? In this article, we’d be providing you with answers to these questions.

Three things football teams do with kits after a game

1. Donate to charity

One thing bigger football teams do after games with the kits worn by players, is they can donate such kits to charity and help support them.

And one organization that helps with this is, kitsfortheworld.org. KiTs for the World was founded with the aim of supplying donated football kits to help charities that focus on tackling a range of sustainable development goals for disadvantaged children and young adults around the world.

So donating of football kits is one thing football teams do after a game. Sometimes it might be the whole football team that donates their kits, or it could be individual players who take the initiative to donate.

2. Wash and reuse them

Yes, the kits can be washed and reused. Premier Leagues players do not personally take care of their various kits(they do not wash their kits themselves) rather, they have a kitman who is in charge of maintaining their various kits.

So after games, the kitman gets the players kits and equipment and washes and keeps them fresh. These kits and equipment can later be used by the players.

3. Kits are given out to fans or kept by players

Another thing players do, is that they give their shirts out to fans after games. This is one we all see. Fans ask for the shirts of players and players hand it over to fans.

But one thing that you might not know is that players do pay for every shirt they give away to fans, as said by Ben Foster an ex Watford and Premier League goalkeeper. Here’s what Ben Foster had to say regarding this, using CR7 as his case study:

Cristiano Ronaldo gives his shirt away pretty much every single game, but what you don’t know is us footballers actually have to pay for every single shirt we give away. “Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not going to touch the sides of Cristiano’s bank balance. However, let’s go through the maths of how many shirts this guy has given away.

So, he’s played 1,100 games in his career, alright. You get two shirts per game and I ain’t saying he gives away every shirt every single game but in those 1,110 games, you’d like to think that he’s given one away every single game. Pretty much, alright, give or take one or two. “So, we’re going to start with that figure: 1,100 games. And if you look at the price of what these shirts cost nowadays – the current home Manchester United shirt costs £100. “Don’t get me wrong, back in the day they were a bit cheaper – £50, £60 – so let’s work on they cost on average about £70. 1,100 shirts times £70 is £77,000. Whaaaaat?”

And while players might giveaway shirts, some might decide to keep their kits. This usually happens after a big game, let’s say after a World Cup final or a UEFA Champions League final or after winning a title. Players tend to keep such kits because of the memory attached to such kits.

Further reads: The best Man City retro football home shirts 2023 edition – 1977, 1987, 1997, 2004, 2007

Conclusion

Football kits are expensive and need to be maintained properly by clubs and players and the money these kits can fetch charity organizations is also high.

These kits are valuable assets and now we’ve been able to help you know what happens to these kits after football games. Do stay tuned to our blog, raensports, as we’d be covering more football and sportswear related articles that’d help you understand the beautiful game even more.

redeyedrae

Redeyedrae, is an FPL content writer with years of experience in playing and writing about FPL. He has written for major FPL blogs like ALLABOUTFPL, Fantasytipsters, FF Titans, and nevermanagealone. With his deep knowledge of the game, he has become a trusted source for FPL fans worldwide. His content is well-researched and always up-to-date. He’s passionate about helping FPL managers gain an edge in their leagues by sharing insights and analysis about everything fantasy football on raensports.