Kappa, the Italian sportswear brand, in a partnership with Fanatics signed a three-year deal to become the kit supplier to English second-tier soccer club Aston Villa.
Kappa replaces Birmingham fashion brand Luke1977, which took over the deal for a brief period, also in a partnership with Fanatics. In April 2018, the professional football club in Aston, Birmingham terminated the team’s partnership with Under Armour under a mutual agreement three years earlier than planned.
Kappa will provide kit and training wear for our first team, development and junior sides as well as the Ladies’ teams. Kappa has been making sportswear for over 60 years and has supplied kit for numerous teams across a wide range of sports including the Italian national football team.
Aston Villa Chief Commercial Officer Nicola Ibbetson said: “I am delighted that Aston Villa has partnered with such a recognizable and iconic brand who have a long-standing reputation for delivering quality, eye-catching performance sportswear.
“At the forefront of our decision was the key requirement to find a partner that would put design at the heart of the process and do justice to our famous claret and blue colors.
“In addition to collaborating with some of the leading experts in the field of technical sports kit and fashion, we are currently working with Kappa and Fanatics to ensure that all Aston Villa supporters are catered for with a wide range of replica kit and merchandise.”
Kappa’s UK Managing Director, Mark Ward said: “Aston Villa is a world-class club with a strong identity and heritage. This new partnership with Aston Villa reinforces once again our strong ambition in football connecting our brand with one of the biggest clubs in the UK. We are excited to be a key part of Aston Villa’s global commercial strategy, serving players and supporters across the world thanks to a large product proposition from sports to lifestyle.”
Fanatics International President, Steve Davis, said: “We have had an incredibly successful first season working with Aston Villa and we are delighted that an innovative and world-renowned brand like Kappa has joined the partnership. We are looking forward to working with Kappa, who have produced some of the most iconic and stylish kits throughout the years, to give Villa fans another kit that they will love next season.”
