Friday 11 September 2020 - “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” as Liverpool FC take Croatian National Football Shirt design for the next Premier League

You might have thought that the UK Premier League champions were all but finished with Croatian football. This summer they let go Dejan Lovren from their ranks, shipping the Croat off to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg for a price widely thought to be €12 million. However, your thoughts may well have been wrong.

Recent images reveal that their ties with Croatia are not so nearly over, as Liverpool FC take Croatian National Football Shirt design for the next season.

Could it be an acknowledging nod of respect? Could they be trying to steal some luck in order to keep the most-cherished title in English football? Could it be a coincidence?

The latter is less likely when you consider that the sponsor for each shirt is one and the same - Nike. Whatever the reason, Croatian football fans – and, indeed, some Liverpool FC fans – were quick to spot the similarity. Comments were soon made by both on Liverpool FC's social media.

“We might as well have played with a Croatian away kit.” wrote one Liverpool fan, early in the comments. At the time of writing, his observation was 'liked' by almost 200 Liverpool FC supporters. Football fans from all over the world are familiar with the Croatian away shirt, having seen it repeatedly at the last World Cup.

“So we've got the same goalkeepers top as England and now we've also got Croatia's away shirt.” wrote another fan. Others also made a link between the departed Lovren and the fact that Nike sponsors and manufactures the shirts for both teams teams.

Further new acquisitions for Liverpool FC this summer include Greek left back Konstantinos Tsimikas, bought for a similar price for which they allowed Lovren to go. The team also has no less than seven young players arriving back at the club, following loan spells which were considered key to their development. Liverpool Under 23 players Curtis Jones is also expected to take the leap into the first team in the approaching season. Will this be enough to fend off the super-spending Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United for yet another year?

At least one Croatian fan spotted the similarity too. Dino, who commented on Liverpool FC's Facebook post, was not in the mood for poetry or jokes.

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The existing Croatian contract with Nike is valid until 2020, and talks about the extension began in September in Portland when Davor Šuker received the leadership of the company at the Nike headquarters, during which a mutual satisfaction was confirmed on their successful previous partnerships.