The Champions League is back, with Bayern Munich preparing to face Scottish champions Celtic in a crucial play-off tie. Led by England captain Harry Kane, the German powerhouse travels to Glasgow on Wednesday for the first leg.
However, fans have noticed something unusual—Bayern have yet to wear their famous red home kit in this season’s competition.
Despite playing four home games at the Allianz Arena, Bayern have only appeared in their black away kit or beige third kit.
The reason remained a mystery until now, but German outlet BILD reports that UEFA has banned Bayern’s home kit over concerns about its visibility.
The issue lies with the kit’s dark-colored numbering and lettering, which UEFA claims do not provide enough contrast for viewers, violating their regulations. As a result, Bayern have been instructed to modify the design by replacing the black print with white.
However, these changes won’t be completed in time for their trip to Celtic Park, meaning Bayern will continue wearing an alternate kit—even though their red home strip wouldn’t clash with Celtic’s green and white hoops.
It’s unclear whether Bayern will finally be able to wear their home kit in next Tuesday’s second leg in Munich. Vincent Kompany’s side currently hold an eight-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga and are widely expected to overcome Celtic after narrowly missing out on automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16.
If they progress, they’ll face a challenging round-of-16 clash against either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid.