UEFA is not allowed to play with three small birds on its back for the time being. On Saturday evening, the team from Amsterdam visited PEC Zwolle (0-2) for the first time this Eredivisie season in the third shirt. Observant viewers soon noticed the lack of the three little birds because they can be seen on the shirts presented earlier. According to the European Football Association, playing with the icons on the shirt is against the regulations.
Ajax Life, the website of the Ajax supporters’ association, asked the club what the reason is behind the absence of the iconic birds. “The European Football Association sees it as a different expression than the club logo, logo clothing sponsor or sleeve sponsor. Other expressions are not allowed”, reads the official statement of Ajax. According to the supporters’ association, the club was surprised by UEFA’s response. Are you sure that you are not joking?”, Ajax would have asked.
?? @AFCAjax have dropped a Bob Marley inspired third kit! ?? We are very BIG fans of this one! ? Cop or drop? ? pic.twitter.com/lAvF3q6nnL
— SPORF (@Sporf) August 20, 2021
According to the guidelines of the KNVB, Ajax’s blue away shirt resembles PEC’s home shirt too much, so that the Ajax players in Zwolle appeared in the third shirt. With the uniform, which was officially presented in mid-August, Ajax pays tribute to Bob Marley and his song Three Little Birds, which can be heard regularly in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Three birds are depicted on the back of the original shirt, but due to the decision of the European Football Association, against PEC alone, there was nothing more than a black area above the player names on the shirts.
In a European context it is therefore certainly impossible that Ajax will take office with the shirt that was originally presented. Ajax Life knows to report that the team from Amsterdam ‘perhaps at a later moment’ in the Eredivisie will be allowed to play with the three birds on the shirt.