AS Roma unveil special Nike derby kit for 2016-17 season

For the first time in the club’s history, AS Roma will wear a unique commemorative kit when they play the Derby della Capitale against city rivals Lazio this season.

The regal kit, a striking dark red complemented by metallic gold details, evokes the red tunics and bronze armour and helmets the Roman legions wore when they fought to defend the city.

This new kit honours AS Roma, underlining its unique bond with the Eternal City, and will be worn for the first time when the Giallorossi meet Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday 4 December.

The derby shirt boasts a modern crew-neck collar with a maroon band at the back, a gold AS Roma crest, and ‘SPQR’ in gold on the back of the neck rib.

SPQR – ‘Senatus Populus que Romanus’ (‘The Roman Senate and People’) – is a Latin phrase synonymous with the city. For more than 2,000 years these initials have been used to represent Rome, from the standards held aloft by the Roman legions to today on the city’s red and gold coat of arms.

The sides of the kit have a maroon stripe that runs the length of the shirt and matching red shorts, which expand when the players are in motion; providing greater ventilation and revealing bold flashes of gold underneath.

The new derby socks are red with ‘SPQR’ in gold on the shin.

While this new kit acts as a proud symbol of the club, it has also been designed to allow players to be fast, and perform at their absolute best - boasting the latest Nike innovations in performance technology, fabric construction and moisture management.

The new AS Roma derby kit will be available from November 29 exclusively from asromastore.com and Nike.com, and from November 30 in selected Nike and AS Roma shops.