One of the most beautiful jerseys of this season is Ajax's Third Kit. Which is a tribute to Bob Marley. But they are not allowed to play on the field after this. Why did Ajax make a jersey in honor of Bob Marley and why did UEFA ban it?
Ajax launched 3 of their kits for the 2021-22 season. The third kit became popular among football fans overnight. This completely black V-neck jersey had three trims in yellow, green and red on the shoulder and sleeves. It sold a record number on the first day of the sale, and the frenzy spread across the football world beyond Amsterdam. But Ajax did not get permission to play on the field wearing this beautiful jersey. It can be said that wearing the original design of this jersey, they will not be able to enter the field. You will notice three cross marks under the collar on the back of the Ajax jersey. These three crosses represent the flag of Amsterdam. In their third kit, they also embody these three crosses in red, yellow and green. And a picture of a bird on top of the crosses in harmony with the color. These designs, colors and birds were their tribute to Bob Marley. These three birds represent a famous Raggae Anthem of Marley. Raggae is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the last sixties. It comes from the English word "rags". According to UEFA rules, these birds can not be used. As a rule, no unofficial advertising can be done on the shirt, nor can anything be used that is not affiliated with the club and clearly represents something else. So Ajax's playing jerseys have to be without birds.
UEFA's statement was that, the birds in Ajax jerseys are in honor of Bob Marley's song. It does not represent the Ajax team in any way. This goes against the equipment rules in Article 13. That's why the birds won't be in jerseys at all UEFA tournaments. But the crosses will remain. Because the crosses represent Amsterdam and Ajax is a club in Amsterdam. UEFA banned the jersey but Ajax did not stop selling it. At the same time, fans bought a lot of it. But what is Bob Marley's relationship with Ajax that Ajax made an official match jersey in his honor
For this we have to go back to 2006. That year Ajax played a pre-season friendly against Cardiff City. That was Cardiff's last pre-season match of that season. The match ended 0-0. Authorities asked the Cardiff City stadium announcer, to play a song on the stadium's announcement speaker for Ajax fans who have come so far for the match. The song that the announcer played was the song Three Little Birds sung by Bob Marley. Before that Ajax had no anthem of its own for fans. After this day, Three Little Birds became the official anthem for Ajax fans. Although Ajax could not return from Old Ninian Park that day with a win, the spectators took a whole Anthem from there. This short incident of that day became huge. Shortly afterwards, it officially began playing as the club's anthem at the Johan Cruyff Arena in every match, which is still going on. In this context, Kai-Mani Marley, son of Bob Marley, came down to the field at halftime during the game against Athens in the Champions League in September 2016 and performed the song "Three Little Birds" for the audience. Coincidentally, Ajax also won the match 3-0.
"My father was a big football fan. If he had heard that his song "Three Little Birds" was sung by everyone at the Ajax stadium together, it would have meant the world to him." - Kai-Mani Marley
It is true that Bob Marley was a big football fan. He was a fan of the Scottish club Celtic. It is even rumored that he tried out at Celtic Park as a midfielder when he was younger. It is also known from his other son Rohan Marley that he used to record Celtic games when he was on tour in Europe and then when he returned home at the end of the tour he used to present these old games to his children. He lived in London in 1986 when work began on his Exodus album, which featured a song "The Three Little Birds". He would take a short break from his busy schedule and walk around the river Thames. From there he often went to Battersea Park, with his band The Wailers. There they played football among themselves. A blue plaque has been placed on the outer wall of 42, Oakley Street, to commemorate Bob Marley's life in London. That was a few years before his death. Then in 1981, at the age of 36, he passed away.
Although he is immortal for his songs, Ajax fans take on the responsibility of immortalizing him. Ajax also adopted his song 27 years after his death, and his song now resounds in thousands of voices every day in Amsterdam. Even if not officially, Ajax has managed to give him a place in the unofficial jersey. How's that anything less than a cordial effort of respect?