Retro Bologna Shirt – Italy's Forgotten Giants

Bologna FC was founded in 1909 by a group of Swiss and Italian students and businessmen, and within two decades the club had established itself as a dominant force in Italian football. The 1920s and 1930s represented Bologna's first golden era. Under the masterful coaching of Árpád Weisz – a Hungarian Jewish tactician who would later tragically perish in the Holocaust – Bologna won back-to-back Scudetti in 1936 and 1937. Their 1937 title was earned with breathtaking attacking football that earned them an invitation to the prestigious Paris International Exhibition Tournament, where they famously defeated Chelsea to be crowned the unofficial champions of Europe. It was a moment that placed Bologna on the continental map and remains a source of immense pride.

The club had actually won their first title as far back as 1925, and followed up with further championships in 1929 and 1941. But it was the post-war period that would bring their final, bittersweet Scudetto. The 1963–64 campaign saw Bologna edge out Inter Milan in a dramatic title race that went to a play-off, with a 2–0 victory securing the championship and sending the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara into delirium. It remains the last time Bologna have lifted the Serie A title, and over sixty years on, the wait continues.

The decades that followed brought turbulence. Financial difficulties, relegations, and mid-table mediocrity became more familiar than glory. Yet the club always found a way to return, driven by passionate local support and a civic identity that runs bone-deep in this city. Bologna bounced back from Serie B stints with resilience, and in recent seasons under Thiago Motta, they rediscovered their swagger, finishing fifth in 2023–24 and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in decades – a seismic moment for a club that had been waiting so long for a return to Europe's elite stage.

The Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, opened in 1927, is one of Serie A's most characterful grounds – a bowl of noise and history that hosted matches during the 1934 and 1990 World Cups. It remains the spiritual home of the club and a symbol of everything Bologna represents in Italian football.

Bologna's history is populated with extraordinary footballers who left indelible marks on the club and the wider game. In the 1930s, Swedish forward Giuseppe 'Sven' Andersson was a prolific goal-scorer during the championship years, while the legendary Amedeo Biavati – a flying right-winger renowned for his mesmerising dribbling – was one of the finest players in Europe during his peak years and a key figure in Italy's 1938 World Cup triumph.

In the post-war era, midfielder Fulvio Bernardini had already left his mark as a player, but it was as manager that he would guide the club to their 1964 Scudetto, becoming a Bologna icon in two roles. The title-winning squad featured Ezio Pascutti, one of Serie A's most feared attackers of his generation, a lightning-quick forward who tormented defenders throughout the late 1950s and 1960s.

The 1990s brought a new wave of talent. Roberto Baggio briefly wore the red and blue before his move to Fiorentina, while the great Danish playmaker Michael Laudrup spent time with the club. More recently, Roberto Mancini – who would go on to manage Italy to Euro 2020 glory – played for Bologna later in his career, adding star quality to the squad.

In the modern era, the club has become renowned for its smart recruitment and player development. Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth enjoyed a productive loan spell, while the brilliant Argentine Marko Arnautovic proved a handful for every Serie A defence before his move to Manchester United. Manager Thiago Motta's tactical nous transformed the team into one of Italian football's most exciting sides before his own departure to Juventus.

The Bologna retro shirt is defined first and foremost by those iconic red and blue vertical stripes – one of the most distinctive kits in Italian football. The halved or striped red-and-blue design has remained remarkably consistent across the club's history, giving collectors a wonderful through-line when tracking the evolution of the kit.

The kits of the 1970s and early 1980s carry that wonderful simplicity of the era – broad stripes, minimal branding, heavy cotton construction. These are the shirts worn during an era when Bologna were fighting to re-establish themselves after their 1964 high-water mark, and they carry real historical texture.

The late 1980s and 1990s brought sponsor logos and synthetic fabrics, with Misura and later Lotto supplying some eye-catching designs. The 1990s kits in particular – with their bolder template designs, slightly more adventurous collar styles, and the vivid Lotto branding – have become increasingly sought-after by collectors who associate them with the era of Italian football's global peak. The away shirts from this period, often white or blue, are rarer and particularly desirable.

The early 2000s saw the club working with various kit manufacturers as they navigated financial pressures, producing some interesting designs that now feel wonderfully period-specific. Today's kits, produced by Macron, have returned to clean, classic stripe designs that nod respectfully to the club's deep heritage.