Chelsea's latest big-money signing is Italian fashion guru Giorgio Armani, who has designed their official club suits.
Chelsea have been accused in some quarters of lacking a little class since Roman Abramovich banrolled their elevation to football's top table. But the club based on London's fashionable Kings Road are not lacking in the style department.
Now famed Italian fashion guru Giorgio Armani has linked up with the Premiership giants to design their official club suits.
In an interview with Chelsea's official club magaine, Mr Armani explains:
“I believe footballers are today’s new style leaders. Unlike others in the public arena, footballers are unique in the fact that they have to show an acute combination of mental and physical discipline which makes them genuinely heroic.”
As a distillation of what makes the likes of Lamps, JT, SWeeP and Sheva tick, that's almost poetic.
And Armani adds another insight: “If they feel good about how they look when they arrive for a game, that will boost their overall confidence as they prepare to take to the field.”
The press release that announced Chelsea's bid to win the sartorial premier league title described Blues' manager Jose Mourinhoin Hollywood terms, saying:
"The heart-throb Stamford Bridge boss Jose Mourinho, a long-time Armani enthusiast, is rumoured to have taken time out of his busy schedule to personally oversee every sketch and fabric."
It contined: "Armani says of Mourinho: 'He has a great sense of style and I am pleased that he appreciates my designs and chooses to wear them'."
And to underline that this is no fleeting liaison or, indeed, passing fashion fad, the DirectorÂ’s Suite at Stamford Bridge has also been redesigned by the Piacenza-born style guru and famed Inter Milan fan, and is to be renamed The Armani Lounge in his honour.
The press release was also accompanied by a photograph (shown above) of Chelsea's style council in Reservoir Dogs-style pose: from left to right Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Michael Esien, Claudio Pizarro and Ricardo Carvalho.
