How to spot a Netherlands '88 Football Shirt

At FSC, we’re all about helping you to root out the fakes on the market. From Kappa to Nike, Arsenal to Manchester United and Barcelona, and everything else in between, we have created a number of general and specific guides on what to look out for to avoid spending your shirt buying budget on a dud.

How to Spot a Fake

In this guide, we’re going even more specific than before by focusing in on one shirt in particular: The Netherlands’ famous 1988 adidas home shirt. Easily one of the most iconic and famous shirts ever made, the tiled design is notoriously hard to get.

We’ll be delving into this shirt and its specs with the help and guidance of @Brickkithouse, who recently posted a very informative thread about this very matter. What makes this shirt particularly hard to decipher is the fact that there are multiple versions of the jersey, but @Brickkithouse has gone through each of these variations, highlighting what to look out for.

West Germany Spec

The big thing to look out for on this shirt is the stitched on crest patch. It is off-centre from the adidas trefoil logo and its top right corner perfectly meets the point of one of the geometric designs coming off of the collar. Meanwhile, the collar itself is the classic overlapped v-neck, with the orange bordering on the outside.

This jersey is at the top end of the market, as @Brickkithouse estimates it could sell for £500-700.

Jaspo Spec

Shirts with Japanese sizings are one of the big catch-outs for collectors, with the difference sometimes being up to 2 sizes between Jaspo and UK sizings (We wrote a guide on it all which you can read here).

In terms of design differentials, the crest is the place to look once again, with a larger lion, featuring thicker outlines and no black colour fill. Notice also the ‘KNVB’ underneath with the registered tag, which is absent from the trefoil logo on the opposite side of the shirt.

This shirt could go for £400-700.

Argentinian Spec

@Brickkithouse is not a fan of this variation from South America and it is easy to see why. The crest is extremely hollow, but at least it lines up better with the trefoil logo than our previous two examples, and the panel pattern continues underneath the sleeve stripes.

Elsewhere, though, the shirt is quite faded, losing the vibrant orange that made fans fall instantly in love with the shirt in ‘88.

Still, this shirt could go for as much as £500, if the size was a popular choice. Beware though, as our expert warns it is a snugger fit than modern day sizing guides.

Irish Spec

When we talk about those vibrant orange colours, this Irish example is exactly what we mean. The perfect balance of fade in each individual panel makes this shirt stand out, but it is the absence of colour in the collar which acts as the key identifier with this shirt.

Note also the smaller and more intricately detailed crest, which helps to give this shirt a value of £700-800.

UK Spec

This is another pretty vibrant example of this classic shirt. The usual KNVB is gone from under the crest, which itself is also totally filled in, and more in line with the size of the adidas trefoil.

The colour bordering is also a slimmer line than previous versions, and a darker orange too.

Very rare according to @Brickkithouse, an £800 valuation is applied to this shirt.

West Germany Exhibition Spec

The family tree of this famous shirt is so extensive it even contains different types of the same shirt. Interestingly, this shirt has player spec codes, however, @Brickkithouse is doubtful this is the true lineage of the shirt due to its crest and trefoil sizes, and instead suggests it is from an exhibition, or was a sample.

Match issue/Player Spec

And we have to finish things off with the holy grail. Player spec shirts are an especially tricky sub-genre of the shirt selling market, and even further complicated by the prices legit shirts go for. This example, taken from the CFS Exhibition, will set any lucky bidders back around £2500, according to our expert in the field.

Note the extremely detailed crest design, and placement of the ‘registered’ mark next to the KNVB and trefoil. When spending as much as this, you really need to get into the nitty gritty of a shirt.

Authentic Netherlands and classic adidas shirts

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Genuine adidas — £299.99

Browse authentic Netherlands shirts →

Thanks to @Brickkithouse for the guidance on this issue. Be sure to follow him on Twitter for more insights here.

FAQs

How can I tell if a Netherlands 1988 shirt is genuine?

Compare it with the known genuine versions: West Germany, Jaspo, Argentinian, Irish, UK and player spec. Look at the crest (its size, fill and position against the trefoil), the collar and its colour, the thickness and shade of the orange trim, and whether "KNVB" and ® marks appear. If a shirt doesn't match any known version, be very wary.

Why are there different versions of the Netherlands 1988 shirt?

adidas produced the shirt for several markets, including West Germany, Japan (Jaspo), Argentina, Ireland and the UK, and each has its own small differences. There are also player-spec versions and exhibition or sample pieces, which is why this shirt is so tricky to authenticate.

What is Jaspo sizing?

Jaspo is Japanese-market sizing. It can run up to two sizes smaller than UK sizing, so always check the measurements, not just the label, before buying a Jaspo-spec shirt.

How much is a genuine Netherlands 1988 shirt worth?

At the time of writing, @Brickkithouse estimated around £400–800 for most versions, depending on the spec and size. The rare UK and Irish specs sit at the top of that range, and a player-spec shirt costs around £2,500. Prices move with the market, so treat these as a guide.

What does KNVB on the Netherlands shirt mean?

KNVB stands for Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond, the Royal Dutch Football Association. On several versions of the 1988 shirt it appears under the crest. It's missing on the UK spec, which is one way to tell the versions apart.

Are Football Shirt Collective's shirts authentic?

Yes. Every shirt is hand-checked before listing and photographed in detail (10+ photos per shirt), and we're rated Excellent on Trustpilot. There are no fakes and no exceptions. Browse authentic Netherlands shirts here.

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