DUBAI: Juventus stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Matthijs de Ligt will not only be strutting their football skills in today’s Italian Super Cup match in Riyadh, but will also pay homage to their host’s culture by wearing jerseys with Arabic calligraphy.
The limited-edition football shirts, a collaboration from adidas and Juventus with renowned Saudi-Moroccan calligraphy artist Shaker Kashgari, salutes the traditional art form and is a celebration of Arabic culture.
It also celebrates one of the most culturally diverse football clubs in the world, with 14 different nationalities from across Europe and South America in the Juventus first team.
Inside each individual number is a traditional Arabic calligraphy design that spells out the word ‘Juventus’, with each player’s name also written in Arabic text.
Football fans in Saudi Arabia will be able to purchase their Juventus jersey with Arabic text and the bespoke design until the yearend adidas stores in Riyadh and Jeddah.
“Arabic culture is rooted in pride and passion, the same traits that unite football clubs, players and fans across the globe,” according to Shaker Kashgari, who designed the calligraphic texts. “Calligraphy is one of the oldest Arabic traditions, whilst football is playing an increasingly bigger role in our society – this design brings the two together. Juventus has a beautiful history with culture at the heart; what better way to celebrate that than through traditional art.”
“Through this choice, we want to pay tribute to a traditional art form,” said Giorgio Ricci, the Juventus Chief Revenue Officer.
“The collaboration with the great artist Shaker Kashgari makes an important appointment like the Italian Super Cup even more special.”
