One-offs – Milan, 2003

• Thanks, as ever, to Riccardo Giannini

In the Milan kit canon, black dominates in terms of third strips, usually trimmed in red.

There have been deviations from this, though – like the time CEO Adriano Galliani decided it was an unlucky colour – but, apart from the yellow worn in winning the European Super Cup in 1995, few are remembered with much distinction.

Of course, prominence generally comes from on-field exposure and the 2003-04 Milan third shirt definitely did not benefit from that.

It was limited to just one outing, a 1-1 draw away to Perugia – the only one of the first seven games not won in that title-winning season.

While Milan wore their white change kits – sometimes with red or black change shorts, sometimes all-white – away to Roma, they tended to go for a darker strip against the deep red of Perugia, whose kit was made by the little-known Galex, featuring an unusual neck style.

Though the Rossoneri third shirt was not unattractive and it had red and black trim, it didn’t really scream ‘Milan’, but maybe further outings – and more grey kits in the subsequent years – might have changed that.

The ‘one-off’ nature could perhaps be challenged – towards the end of the season, the shirt did see some extra action as goalkeeper Christian Abbiati donned it against Reggina and Brescia – but it certainly wasn’t in danger of over-use.