Chelsea have released their second summer kit, once again a disappointing event despite the promise to "unleash the lion." The new away shirt follows the mediocre 2026-27 home jersey and was unveiled in the dark, a curious choice for a club with a tradition of bright launches.

Built on a plain black base, the design adds visual interest with yellow laurel wreaths around the collar and sleeve cuffs, thin piping on the flanks and shoulders, and subtle ribbing for texture. The photos used for the launch are sepia‑drenched, making the details hard to discern.

Like the home shirt, the crest has been stripped back to a lone rampant lion. The black‑and‑yellow colourway is an homage to the kits worn during Chelsea’s mid‑1990s renaissance, when players such as Gianfranco Zola and Gianluca Vialli joined the club.

It remains a shame that the club couldn’t deliver a more compelling design from this concept, especially with the legacy of that iconic era still in mind.