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The Umbro x Chelsea Jersey Fans Are Sure Puma’s AI Copied For 26/27 Man City Third Kit

AI in Football, Chelsea, Football Kits, Manchester City, Puma, Umbro

The release of Manchester City‘s 2026/27 third kit has sparked a heated debate, with Chelsea fans believing that Puma‘s artificial intelligence completely copied an iconic design from their club’s past.

This groundbreaking shirt is the first professional match jersey designed entirely by a fan using generative AI, marking a significant milestone in football apparel.

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Elliott Lacey, a lifelong Manchester City fan, created the concept during his lunch break using the PUMA AI Creator platform, a tool developed in collaboration with the AI design studio DEEPOBJECTS.

Elliot expressed his joy at being a part of such a great moment.

City has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, so to have designed a kit that will now be worn by the players is a genuine honour.

I have always loved football shirts and design, and I created mine using Puma’s AI creator on my lunch break, never imagining it could actually become a City kit.

The whole experience has been incredible, from seeing people react to the design, to seeing it on the players for the first time when I was invited to the kit shoot.

Using simple sliders, text prompting, and custom generative models, the interface processed nearly 180,000 global submissions before Lacey’s design won the public vote with the campaign tagline “Made by one of us. We all chose this.” Lacey was stunned by his victory and reflected on how surreal it felt to play a small role in the club’s history.

However, football fans immediately noticed a striking resemblance to Chelsea’s beloved 2003/04 and 2004/05 away and third kits, which were manufactured by Umbro, sparking a wave of online banter claiming that the AI had simply scraped the internet for classic retro jerseys.

A close structural breakdown explains why the side-by-side comparison appears so similar, as well as subtle differences in execution. Both kits feature a solid, stark white base with a prominent two-tone graphic that runs vertically down the center of the shirt.

While the classic Umbro Chelsea kit is a flat, geometric block divided into solid Royal Blue and dark Navy stripes, the modern Puma AI design has a unified sash layout with a contemporary gradient effect that shifts and fades under stadium lights.

Chelsea’s 2003/04 and 2004/05 away and third kit. Credit: X

Furthermore, the Chelsea jersey has intense blue trim that is heavily detailed across the collar, sleeve cuffs, and hem, which contrasts with City’s minimalist light-blue accenting that is limited to the back of the neckline.

The corporate branding is also handled differently; the vintage Chelsea shirt prominently features the “Fly Emirates” lettering stamped over the stripes, whereas City elegantly incorporates the Etihad Airways logo directly into the core design.

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While critics see it as a replica, City defenders argue that the kit is legitimately inspired by the club’s own rich history through sash designs such as the red-and-black retro options and the 2013/14 white third kit.

For Chelsea fans, the visual overlap feels like sacred ground because the original Umbro kit is inextricably linked to the beginning of the Roman Abramovich era. It was the exact strip worn by world-class superstars such as Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, and Frank Lampard during their first away games over two seasons.

It was kept as a third kit during the 2004/05 season, but it became immortalized under Jose Mourinho as “The Special One” led the squad to their first Premier League title in 50 years, setting Premier League records for the fewest goals conceded and the highest points total.

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Finally, whether viewed as an unoriginal AI error or a brilliant modern reimagining of historic sashes, the new Manchester City kit effectively bridges the gap between tech-driven fan engagement and classic football nostalgia.

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