How to Spot a Real Vintage Ajax Shirt (Umbro 90s Guide) | First11
Buying a vintage Ajax shirt is special, but with so many fakes on the market it is important to know how to spot an original one.
When looking to buy a vintage Ajax shirt, you often end up at the iconic kits from the golden 90s that were produced by Umbro. These shirts are incredibly popular among collectors and fans today, but since these vintage football shirts are so sought after, they are also heavily faked.
Checking the authenticity of Umbro shirts from that era is much harder than with modern Adidas or Nike shirts, which have unique authenticity codes. In this guide, I will use the Ajax 1994/95 away shirt as the prime example, because this is arguably the most wanted and most faked Ajax shirt in history.
Compare with listings from major sellers
The easiest way to check if an Ajax shirt is real is by comparing it to listings from trusted sellers. Think of specialized vintage football shirt shops like First11shirts.com, where every shirt is sold with a 100% authenticity guarantee. By comparing photos from recognized sellers, you quickly get a clear picture of what the shirt is supposed to look like.
Check the fit and logo positioning
You can often tell a lot just by the cut of a vintage Ajax shirt from the 90s. One of the most famous fakes is the Ajax shirt from the 1994/95 season, the year Ajax won the Champions League by beating AC Milan in the final.
The original shirt has a much wider fit, which is typical for football shirts from the 90s. These kits were often oversized, with sleeves reaching down to the elbow. With fakes, you often see a much slimmer fit, similar to the modern shirts of today.
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The logos also give away a lot. On fakes, the Umbro logo is usually placed way differently, often times too close to the Ajax badge. Additionally, the 'Umbro Official' badge is often placed too high on replicas. These are small details, but on a real vintage Ajax shirt, these positions are exact.
Another common sign of a fake is deep creases in the fabric. These shirts often come fresh out of a plastic bag where they were folded tight. An original Ajax shirt that is nearly 30 years old usually doesn't show these kinds of sharp fold lines anymore.
Does the shirt look too new? Then it's probably fake
A common trait of fake Ajax shirts is the sponsor. The 'ABN AMRO' sponsor often looks perfectly white on fakes. For a shirt that is nearly 30 years old, that is almost impossible, unless it has been kept new in the original packaging all this time.
On original vintage Ajax shirts, you often see that the sponsor is slightly discolored or shows minor signs of wear. That is completely normal for football shirts of this age. Furthermore, the letters of the ABN AMRO sponsor are thinner on the real shirt. You can clearly see the difference in the open spaces inside the letters 'A' and 'B' compared to a fake.
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Always check the size label
One of the most important things to check on a vintage Ajax shirt is the size label. On an original Umbro shirt, you will see a blue label with the Umbro logo and the size. Underneath that, there is a white label with the text "Made in England".
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On the original blue label, tiny dots are visible inside the Umbro diamond logo. These details are often missing on fake shirts. Also, the white label on a real shirt is usually discolored due to age. On fakes, this label often looks bright white, and the font color is slightly off. Sometimes it does say "Made in England", but the small number (like a '2') underneath the text is missing, which is a clear sign the shirt is not original.
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Always buy from trusted sellers
Do you want to buy a vintage Ajax shirt and be sure you aren't getting a fake? Then buy from reliable sellers like First11shirts.com. As specialists in vintage football shirts, we offer a 100% authenticity guarantee and clearly mention any imperfections in the product description.
You can, of course, choose to buy an Ajax shirt via platforms like Vinted or eBay, but the risk is much higher. It would be a waste if you find out later that the shirt is fake or has hidden damage, and you can't return it or get your money back.
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FAQ's about Vintage Ajax Shirts
Unlike modern Adidas or Nike shirts, vintage Umbro kits don't have unique product codes to check. The best way to verify authenticity is by looking at the details: the size label (Made in England), the quality of the stitching, and the fit. Also, compare your shirt with photos from trusted sellers like First11 to spot differences in logo placement.
No, usually not by modern standards. Ajax shirts from the mid-90s generally have a classic "baggy" 90s fit. They are wider and have longer sleeves than the fitted shirts we see today. If you find a 1995 shirt that fits very tight or slim, it is likely a modern fake.
The neck label should consist of two parts: a blue top label with the Umbro diamond and the size, and a white bottom label saying "Made in England". A key detail to check is the blue Umbro logo: on real shirts, this logo has tiny textured dots inside the diamond. On fakes, the diamond is often a solid flat print.
You can find them on general marketplaces like eBay or Vinted, but as explained above, the risk of buying a fake is high. For 100% peace of mind, we recommend buying from a specialized shop like First11shirts.com. We manually verify every single shirt and offer a lifetime authenticity guarantee, so you never have to worry about the history of your kit.
