He also turned players into style ambassadors. David Beckham in his Real Madrid years, gliding through airports in airy Armani tailoring, became football’s first truly global style icon: Armani made Beckham look sharper than ever, and Beckham made Armani feel plugged into the new football universe. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Armani underwear campaigns pushed it further, confirming that elite footballers could double as global fashion models.

On the touchline, José Mourinho made Armani part of his persona, stalking the Chelsea sidelines in a dark overcoat that later sold for £22 000 at charity auction. When Mourinho led Inter Milan to the treble in 2010, he celebrated in a custom Armani suit - proof that the designer’s clothes could become part of a sporting legend’s image. The most radical expression of this crossover arrived in Naples. In 2021, Napoli became the first top-tier club to have its match kits designed by a true high-fashion house, with EA7 taking over from Kappa.

After a first season of loud, experimental designs and an astonishing 13 different shirts, the last couple of years have looked exactly like what you’d expect from Armani: classy, understated kits with fine detailing.

Italian fashion writer Laura Pacelli noted that the move allowed Armani to “demonstrate that he represents all of Italy, not just the north and Milan”, dragging a Milanese institution into the heart of Naples’ football culture.