Kutaisi is one of Georgia’s oldest cities and boasts a rich cultural heritage. It is the capital of the western part of Imereti. The city’s most important football club, FC Torpedo Kutaisi, plays in the Erovnuli Liga, the top division in Georgian football, and clearly represents this heritage. The design of the club’s jerseys for the 2024/2025 season is inspired by the works of Niko Pirosmani, a Georgian painter famous for his depictions of ordinary people and everyday life, whose protagonists include farm workers, shopkeepers and waiters. Pirosmani’s works portray Georgian life between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They have now been brought back to life on a special jersey designed by Macron, a brand that has always been eager to celebrate the identity of clubs and their communities.
A UNIVERSAL MESSAGE
Pirosmani’s paintings are closely associated with Georgian culture, but his art carries a universal message. The stories related through his canvases tell of the human condition. They express joy, challenge, celebration and perseverance – values that belong to sport in general and, more specifically, to a club determined to represent not just its native city but a nation as a whole. The works of Pirosmani, therefore, convey a message that transcends the limits of the town and tells the story of honesty, hard work, commitment, sacrifice and passion demonstrated by the players who take the pitch in the jerseys of FC Torpedo Kutaisi with all the joy and pride of representing their country.
THE JERSEY BECOMES A WORK OF ART
The management of FC Torpedo Kutaisi chose to combine the colours and symbols of the club with the characters that appear in the works of the Georgian artist, raising the value of the jersey beyond that of a regular item of teamwear and giving it a profound cultural and artistic meaning as a symbol of Georgian excellence. By portraying Pirosmani’s artworks on its jerseys, the club hopes to convey a message that goes beyond sport. Like the paintings, the new jerseys hope to tell the stories of how ordinary people can accomplish great things. The message targets players and supporters, increasing their unity and pride. This latest design initiative reflects a growing trend in modern football and one Macron has long championed in collaboration with its partner clubs: the development of kits that relate cultural and historical traditions and inspired, refined designs to create an emotional bond between the team and its supporters. Jerseys like those worn by FC Torpedo Kutaisi are more than just teamwear.
FC TORPEDO KUTAISI, A SYMBOL OF CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
The club was formed in 1946 and is one of Georgia’s oldest and most celebrated. The trophy cabinet of the Yellow and Blacks holds 4 national championship trophies, 5 Georgian Cups and 3 Georgian Super Cups, the most recent of which was won this year. Like all clubs, FC Torpedo Kutaisi has experienced times of success and failure but has always retained its supporters. In recent years, the club has focused on renewal and sustainability, investing in young players, encouraging local talent and building close ties with the community. The club serves as a symbol of culture and community on and off the pitch and has adopted the aim of “inspiring change through football”, exploiting the positive energies of the sport to bring people together and to drive social improvements. Macron shares the same determination to work for a common objective, on and off the pitch. In Kutaisi, they know something about heroes and challenges, given the tradition that the city was the final destination of Jason and the Argonauts.
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