1998/99 · Home

After two seasons in which Adidas let white take over, 1998/99 brought Reebok to Alvalade and gave Sporting back their full hoops, around the body and down the sleeves. The green carries a tonal jacquard with “Sporting” in script and the brand’s vector logo. The polo collar is black with green and white trim, and Telecel sits on the chest and sleeve, in the third of the telecom company’s four seasons on the shirt.

On the pitch, Croatian coach Mirko Jozić, a Copa Libertadores winner with Colo-Colo, led the side to 4th place with 64 league goals. The cups hurt: a first round UEFA Cup exit against Bologna and an early Taça de Portugal defeat to Gil Vicente. It was also Simão’s last year in the lion’s colours before leaving for Barcelona.

Here at Hoopster this is the shirt that paved the way: the same design, one year before the eighteen year drought came to an end.