Alisha Lehmann, Aston Villa and the 'wet jersey' scandal

Following complaints from players and fans, Aston Villa players could finally breathe a sigh of relief once it was revealed their "wet look" shirts were being replaced. Let's take a look at the saga!

Reports emerged in September that Aston Villa men's and women's teams were unhappy at the prospect of playing in what The Daily Mail described as "wet look" Castore shirts. Players from both squads were worried that shirts, that seemed to absorb sweat, would be too revealing to wear live.

Per reports by The Telegraph, Adidas swooped in to take over the kit sponsorship. Making it the first time that Villa will be equipped by Adidas. Europe's biggest sports giant already supplies the jerseys of Manchester United, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Fulham.

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There were problems for the first time in the Europa League game against Legia Warsaw. Back then, the jerseys of the Aston Villa men's team were completely soaked and sweaty after just a few minutes.

The reason for the problems is said to have been a new material from the manufacturer. In addition to the appearance, the jerseys also restricted the Aston Villa team from playing.

According to '20 Minutes', the Birmingham club had complained to manufacturer Castore that the T-shirts were too heavy and uncomfortable, so the players always had to change jerseys at half-time.

Coach Carla Ward was already aware of the problem back then because her team had worn the new work outfit in some test matches and "hated it," as 'Bild' reported.

Football commentator Jacqui Oatley could also understand the players' criticism, as some games were broadcast on television. She told the Daily Mail: "Normally they would be looking forward to these games and looking forward to them. But they're dreading them because they're very conscious of what they're going to look like in those wet, sticky jerseys – for obvious reasons."

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The Aston Villa players had the problem with the 'wet look' not only with the home jerseys, but also with the away jerseys. So they sometimes decided to use the training jerseys.

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The manufacturer Castore, which also supplies Bayer Leverkusen, among others, had a multi-year contract with Aston Villa. The sporting goods manufacturer's slogan is ironically: "Demand more – first-class performance".

Castore responded to the controversy by saying it intended to "resolve this issue as quickly as possible in order to meet the standards we expect." But it wasn't until the beginning of December that they were able to deliver the new jerseys.

One of the two club owners, Nassef Sawiris, owns almost seven percent of the sporting goods manufacturer. Now he, together with co-owner Wes Edens and the club's president, Chris Heck, have decided to enter into a new partnership with Adidas.

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