1. FC Köln's new third kit references the adidas years of the early 1980s, when blue shirts were a fixture at the club.
1. FC Köln and adidas are bringing blue back to Müngersdorf. The new third kit for the 2026/27 season goes for a dominant blue tone, with the club colours red and white integrated into the graphic, the crew neck collar and the sleeves. The club is positioning the jersey as a lifestyle statement, meant to work on matchday as well as in everyday life.
Blue shirts at 1. FC Köln: a story from the adidas years
The blueprint for the new design comes from the club's own past. In 1976, Köln played in adidas for the first time, and around that time, the first blue Köln jerseys appeared. By the early 1980s, the blue third kit was a fixture in the squad's season wardrobe. Blue shaped several shirts in those years, from light to dark tones, for outfield players and goalkeepers alike: goalkeeping legend Toni Schumacher guarded Köln's goal in light blue at times.
That first adidas era also brought the club's greatest triumph: in 1977/78, Köln won the double of league title and German Cup wearing adidas. adidas is back at the club this season, already its fourth spell together, and with the new third kit, the two are picking up exactly where that tradition left off.
Third kit 2026/27: available now
The blue third kit adds to the season's kit line-up, arriving a few weeks after the white home kit that launched the new partnership and, according to Geissblog, sold better at launch than last season's Hummel home shirt.
The third kit is available now in selected adidas stores, online at adidas.de, in official Köln fan shops and at selected retail partners.
Whether the blue proves as successful on the pitch as its historical predecessor will become clear over the course of the season.
