Inter Milan x Transformers shirt

If you enjoy an unusual, one-off sponsor I bring good news. Inter Milan will be rocking the iconic Transformers logo on the front of their shirts as they take on Udinese in Serie A this weekend.

The move, which was made possible due to Inter's sponsorship deal with Paramount+, had many shirt fanatics reminiscing about the legendary Atletico Madrid x Columbia Pictures partnership of the 00s. Images of Fernando Torres and co. donning kits with a wide array of film titles do the rounds every few months on social media, and for today's Collectors Club I want to pitch some ideas for Paramount Pictures franchises which could theoretically feature on the front of an Inter Milan shirt in future. Though there's no indication that the club will actually rotate through different films, it would be a lot of fun to see an Atleti style range of kits...

First up I bring to you The Godfather. Now, this is undoubtedly the least realistic option given that the Godfather series is not an ongoing one (though knowing Hollywood's obsession with remakes, I wouldn't rule out a wholly unnecessary reboot), but a kit with the iconic puppet master logo would be an instant hit. On ratings alone both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are ranked inside the top 5 IMDB films of all time (2nd and 4th respectively), so this choice would be a particularly good one if Paramount wanted to flex their historical muscle.
Next is a franchise which would have made a tonne of sense 12 months ago.

The most recent Indiana Jones film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny debuted at the end of June this year, going on to disappoint at the box office grossing "just" $384 million worldwide on a roughly $300 million budget. Interest around the film would surely have increased had the classic Indiana Jones logo featured on an Inter Milan shirt in the lead-up to release day.

The Indiana Jones logo, with its heavy drop shadow and gradient style, has a wonderful 80s aesthetic which would look incredibly nostalgic on a football shirt. In the current climate of bland, overly-corporate logos a bit of life and colour goes a long way.

For another more realistic option, how about Star Trek? From its first appearance as a TV series in the 1960s to a current series airing at the moment on Paramount+, Star Trek has delighted millions of fans across generations. Such is the appeal of the franchise that there would undoubtedly be plenty of people caught in the middle of the venn diagram between Star Trek and football. The Star Trek logo itself would make for a clean sponsor, or for something a little different the Starfleet emblem would have potential.

Moving a little more left field, a hugely popular animated series is set to release films in both 2024 and 2025. SpongeBob Squarepants is arguably a foundational pillar in the internet meme economy, and of all the suggestions for franchises that could feature on an Inter Milan shirt this one would be guaranteed to track particularly well with younger audiences.

The funny thing about SpongeBob is that he has actually already collaborated with a football club. Many of you will remember the SpongeBob x Borussia Dortmund collection from a few years ago. Sadly we didn't see everyone's favourite sea sponge on a match kit, but Inter have a chance to make right those wrongs.

My final suggestion is very much in the spirit of one of my favourite sponsors from the Atleti x Columbia days, "Dos "rubias" de pelo en pecho" ("White Chicks", literally translated "Two "blondes" with hair on their chests"!!). The first Mean Girls film was released in the same year as White Chicks (2004), and a new Mean Girls film (based on the musical which is based on the OG film) is due to arrive in cinemas in a little over a month's time.  Though lacking in an iconic logo, a "Mean Girls" wordmark would be a lot of fun to see whilst generating a lot of attention.

Before I finish I should mention that match worn Transformers shirts from this weekend will be auctioned off for charity, with additional shirts being sent to children in neighbouring hospitals. For all the bad we see in the modern game, this sort of move has to be commended from all parties.