The journey to discover Hellas Verona’s 2021/22 match kits, following the unveiling of the home and away kits, culminates in the new third kit. This is the first kit, designed by Macron, ‘the Hero company’, to feature green as its main colour. This colour makes its debut on the Verona side’s shirts, just as the ‘green’ technology that characterises their manufacture is also making its debut.

Whilst the ‘Home’ kit (featuring the Arche Scaligere, the symbol of the family that welcomed Dante Alighieri to Verona) and the ’Away’ kit (featuring Verona’s colours and a quote from the Divine Comedy in the background) contained significant references to the figure of the Supreme Poet, the new ‘Third’ kit is entirely dedicated to him and to the oldest traditions of the city of Verona. In fact, the establishment of a race held in the city of the Scaligeri predates even the Scaligeri’s rise to power: the Palio del Drappo Verde.

The Palio del Drappo Verde in Verona is considered the oldest organised race – amongst those still held – in the world, with its roots dating back to as far as 1208, when Ezzelino II da Romano, having defeated the Guelph counts of San Bonifacio and become Podestà of Verona, decided to celebrate this great event by organising a race. The winner of the foot race was presented with a 12-metre-long green cloth banner, a symbol of eternal glory in the eyes of Verona. “Those who run for the green cloth in Verona” is a line from Canto XV of the ‘Inferno’ in Dante Alighieri’s ‘Divine Comedy’, which refers to this race that he himself witnessed.

Macron, which has created the exclusive new 2021–2022 match kits, incorporating graphics and text that celebrate the relationship between the poet and the Venetian city, pays tribute to Dante, Verona and the Palio del Drappo with a jersey that could be described as “doubly” green – both in reference to Dante’s verses and because the Italian brand has produced it using Eco-Softlock fabric, a 100% polyester made from recycled plastic and certified by the Global Recycled Standard. This eco-fabric jersey sends a clear message of sustainability and respect for the environment.

The new “Third” kit is a dark green crew-neck shirt with white knitted trim, and the sleeve cuffs are also white. A distinctive detail can be found on the sleeves, which feature an embossed graphic design on both the front and back, reminiscent of the detail on the gate of the Arche Scaligere, situated in Verona’s historic centre and housing the remains of illustrious members of the Scaligeri family, including Cangrande della Scala, to whom Dante dedicated the *Paradiso*. The back of the neck is personalised with an effigy of Dante and the two dates 1321–2021 on a blue background. The word ‘VERONA’ is embroidered in a tone-on-tone design on the back of the neck. On the right side of the chest, the Macron Hero – the Italian brand’s logo – is embroidered in white; on the left, over the heart, is the Hellas Verona crest. On the inside of the shirt, at the bottom, the aforementioned line is hot-stamped: ‘Those who run in Verona with the green banner’ (Canto XV of *Inferno*).