Aston Villa had what could be considered a frustrating 2024/25 season. The Birmingham titans had a very respectful performance in their decades-long return to the UEFA Champions League, pushing eventual winners Paris Saint Germain to the limit but, ultimately, losing in the quarterfinals.
It was an inspired performance in that competition, but the same cannot be said of the other ones. Manager Unai Emery’s side finished in 6th place, losing the chance to return to the Champions League, which seems to have had ramifications on the team’s finances since they don’t have that income anymore.
The League Cup performance was rather uninspired, losing in the fourth round, while they reached Wembley for the FA Cup semifinals, losing to eventual winners Crystal Palace by a 3-0 score.
Therefore, it can be argued that Aston Villa were very close to a successful season but just couldn’t do that final stretch to achieve their goals. And while loan January signings such as Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and PSG’s Marco Asensio delivered good performances, it wasn’t enough and they couldn’t be signed due to the aforementioned financial difficulties.
With the team having qualified for the UEFA Europa League, Emery and his men have the chance to repeat the accomplishment of qualifying for the Champions League, whether it’s through the aforementioned competition or through the Premier League. This is something that a lot of people have pointed out, which makes the release of their new kit a much more vivid moment.
Aston Villa released the new kits on July 15th, with several high-profile players from the club, such as attacker Ollie Watkins and fullback Matty Cash, posing for the cameras with the new uniform.
One detail that a lot of people have pointed out is how the home kit is a tribute to the Holte End of their stadium, Villa Park. It can be seen on the sleeve cuffs as a peculiar gold detail, which is meant to represent the facade of the Holte End, as seen with the picture of John McGinn below.
When it comes to the away kit, it has a mostly black look with some light grey and blue undertones, and the entirety of the logos appear with a grey tone. No one at the club has mentioned if this design has a special meaning like the home kit. As an interesting fact, this kit was announced back in May, long before other kits.
The third kit, though, might be the most creative of the bunch. It is mostly white but has the claret and blue elements that make it a bit more dynamic, coupled with the intention of paying tribute to stained glass, adding an element of novelty to the shirt.
Ultimately, most fans are going to gravitate toward these kits and have already done so. However, the most important part for them is going to be the performance on the pitch and Emery and his men have proven that they can compete with the best of them.
