The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur news and links for Tuesday, March 12

Hey, everyone!

I figured I’d provide a spotlight to a unique football shirt on a day I’d ramble about a different football-related fashion choice. Bonus points for wearing the jersey backwards!

Ramble of the Day

You’ll remember Zinedine Zidane, the former and current Real Madrid manager and former player of many teams. You might also remember that whenever I can, I bring up his times modeling for Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior. He’s covered Le Monde, GQ, and Vogue in various countries in photoshoots that only end in famous people looking very attractive and stylish. He’s even garnered a reputation as being one of modern football’s most stylish managers, so when Real Madrid announced that he’d return as the team’s manager yesterday, I was thinking about these things. Then, he showed up to his press conference in this:

Zidane is so close to having a sharp outfit. He’s always been closer to chic and polished than truly fashion forward, but that hardly counts against him, and the idea of a statement pant would work with his tastes and his looks. This, though? This isn’t the right pair, I’m sorry to say.

It’s obviously silly, but there’s a sort of juvenile feeling to them that I can’t quite quit. It looks like the sock over pants trend that’s common in baseball, and every single baseball uniform reminds me of little league and also looks like it was designed by someone who was thinking about little league.

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

It’s honestly not a great look, which probably brings me to think that baseball players are the worst dressed athletes, but that’s a conversation for a different time. Regardless, it’s a disappointing return from Zidane, for whom I had such high expectations. I’ll probably only linger on this until he comes out with another chic outfit on the touchline or elsewhere. Who knows, though? Maybe he’s decided that he’ll wear ugly clothes now.

tl;dr: A not-so-stylish return.

Links of the Day

Manchester City has launched a “survivors’ scheme” for the victims of sexual assault by former youth coach Barry Bennell.

The man who punched Jack Grealish has been sentenced to 14 weeks in jail, and has received a 10 year UK stadium ban.

Gedion Zelalem has joined MLS side Sporting Kansas City from Arsenal.

International retirement news: Marouane Fellaini has retired from the Belgian national team after 11 years, and Allan McGregor has retired from Scotland duty after 11 years

Today’s longer read: Rory Smith interviews Raheem Sterling on racism in the media for The New York Times