Pulisic fronts Milan away shirt with a Champions League sting
AC Milan’s 2026-27 away kit nods to the club’s Liverpool finals in Istanbul and Athens, with Christian Pulisic prominent in the launch.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
AC Milan have turned a painful European scar into a shirt detail for 2026-27, placing a fan motto from the Liverpool years on the back of their new away kit.
The Serie A club’s latest change strip is a white jersey tied to two Champions League finals against Liverpool: the 2005 collapse in Istanbul and the 2007 payback in Athens, according to ESPN.
Christian Pulisic features prominently in the promotional campaign, while former Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi has been brought in as the main face of the launch. Inzaghi’s role is no random nostalgia play. He scored twice in the 2007 final as Milan beat Liverpool 2-1 in Greece.
A shirt built on Istanbul and Athens
The detail carrying the story sits on the back of the neck. ESPN reported that the shirt bears the phrase: “After Istanbul, there’s always Athens.”
For Milan supporters, the line points to one of the sharpest swings in Champions League history. In 2005, Milan led Liverpool 3-0 at halftime in Istanbul before the English club came back to 3-3 and won the final on penalties.
Two years later, Milan met Liverpool again, this time in Athens. Inzaghi scored both Milan goals in a 2-1 win, with Andrea Pirlo and Kaká setting him up, according to ESPN. That victory remains the most recent of Milan’s seven European Cup wins.
The new away shirt leans straight into that two-match arc: disaster first, redemption later. For a club that keeps its European history close, the message is not subtle.
Pulisic appears as he recovers from injury
Pulisic’s place in the campaign comes after a rough end to his 2026 World Cup with the United States. ESPN reported that he entered the tournament carrying an injury and struggled to make his usual impact before the U.S. went out in the round of 16.
The Americans, who were co-hosting the tournament, were beaten 4-1 by Belgium. ESPN previously reported that Pulisic suffered a bone bruise and a microfracture in his lower leg during that match.
According to ESPN, the winger is expected to be out for several weeks. The timing gives the shirt’s message about recovery a handy bit of relevance, though the club’s design inspiration comes from Milan’s own Champions League past.
Juventus also show off pink away look
Milan are not the only Italian heavyweight to reveal an away kit early. ESPN reported that Juventus have also released their new change shirt.
The Juventus design uses pink, a color linked to the club’s earliest kits around the turn of the 20th century, before Juve adopted the black-and-white stripes now associated with the team.
Neither Milan nor Juventus will wear these away kits in next season’s Champions League, according to ESPN. Both clubs missed out on Serie A’s top four on the final day of the 2025-26 campaign, with AS Roma and Como taking those places instead.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.