Chelsea have released their new third kit for the 2025-26 season which sees the club returning to the wild, wonderful and often weird reign of José Mourinho in search of inspiration.
The jersey forms part of Nike’s new “Total 90” throwback range and as such features styling directly influenced by those popular designs of the mid-2000s. We have the shield-shaped piping, the central crest positioning and the sort of pointy collars and trim that was commonplace two decades ago.
Chelsea actually wore Umbro and Adidas kits during the period in question, but Nike are still keen to draw on the success of the period. In case you need reminding, Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2004 having just shocked Europe by winning the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto and led his pugnacious Blues team to six trophies in three years.
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The dark design is a specific reference to the away kits worn by the Blues during their momentous 2004-05 campaign. With summer signings like Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba joining established stars like John Terry, Claude Makélélé and Frank Lampard, the self-declared “special one” created a defiant team in his own image. Mourinho delivered a historic Premier League title at Stamford Bridge, the club’s first league title in 50 years, as well as winning the League Cup to boot.
However, after retaining the title the following year, things eventually turned sour and Mourinho left in 2007 after a fallout with then-owner Roman Abramovich in 2007. But that didn’t stop the Portuguese tactician returning in 2013 to do it all again after spells at Internazionale and Real Madrid, winning a third league title before another acrimonious departure.
Coming into the 2025-26 campaign as reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions, Chelsea will be hoping that the spirit of that imperious Mourinho era is alive and well and can even propel them to a first Premier League title since 2016-17.
Of course, they would still be a long way off emulating the extraordinary domestic success of the Chelsea’s women’s team, who have won the last six Women’s Super League title and last term claimed a domestic treble along with triumphs in the FA Cup and League Cup.
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