Juventus was originally pink because its founding members—students from Turin’s Liceo d’Azeglio high school—adopted the school’s sporting colors of pink and black when the club was founded in 1897. They wore pink shirts with black ties until the early 1900s, when repeated washing caused the pink fabric to fade badly. This practical problem led the club to switch to the black and white stripes that define Juventus today. The pink color, however, remains a key part of the club’s history.
The Original Pink: A Tribute to the Club’s Student Roots
Juventus was established on November 1, 1897, by a group of young students from Liceo d’Azeglio, a well-known high school in Turin. For these students, choosing the club’s colors was straightforward: they picked pink and black, the official sporting colors of their school. This choice was not random—it tied the new football club to their academic community and gave Juventus an immediate identity among the growing number of teams in Turin at the time.
The first Juventus kits were simple: plain pink shirts paired with black neckties worn over them. According to historical records, one of the players’ fathers even made these early shirts by hand, adding a personal touch to the club’s humble beginnings. The color pink also aligned with the club’s name—Juventus means “youth” in Latin—and reflected the youthful spirit of its founding members.
Why Juventus Abandoned Pink
The end of Juventus’ pink era had nothing to do with taste or preference; it was purely a practical issue. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, textile dyeing technology was limited, especially for bright colors like pink. The pink fabric used for the kits faded dramatically with each wash, leaving the shirts with uneven, worn-out hues that looked unprofessional.
As Juventus grew and began to compete more seriously, the inconsistent appearance of their pink kits became a problem. The team needed a more durable, long-lasting color scheme—and that’s where the iconic black and white stripes came in.
The Move to Black and White
The switch to black and white was somewhat of a happy accident. John Savage, an English player on the Juventus squad at the time, reached out to a friend in Nottingham, England, to request new, more durable kits. His friend, a supporter of Notts County—the oldest professional football club in the world—sent a shipment of Notts County’s signature black and white striped jerseys to Turin.
Juventus quickly adopted the new jerseys, finding them bold and distinctive. The first documented match where Juventus wore black and white stripes was on December 8, 1901, against Milan. The color scheme stuck, and over time, it became known as the Bianconeri (Italian for “black and white”)—a nickname that remains synonymous with Juventus today.
When Pink Returned to Juventus
Though black and white became Juventus’ permanent color, the club has regularly paid tribute to its pink roots over the years. These nods to history allow fans to connect with the club’s early days and keep the pink legacy alive.
| Year | Event | Pink Kit Details |
| 1987 | 90th Anniversary | Original pink shirts with black ties against Avellino |
| 1997-98 | Centenary Season | Special pink third kit designed by Kappa |
| 2011-12, 2015-16 | Modern Away Kits | Pink used as the main color for away jerseys |
| 2025-26 | Home Kit Update | Bliss Pink accents added to classic black and white stripes |
What Pink Means for Juventus Today
For modern Juventus fans, pink is more than just a historical color—it’s a symbol of the club’s humble beginnings. It reminds fans that one of the world’s most successful football clubs started as a group of students playing in hand-made pink shirts. Pink also embodies the “youth” in Juventus’ name, linking the club’s past to its present and future.
While black and white will always be the Bianconeri’s defining color, pink remains a beloved part of Juventus’ identity. It’s a small but meaningful connection to the club’s roots, and its occasional return in kits keeps that history alive for new generations of fans.