Goalkeeper Petr Cech today claimed to have the secret weapon
that will help Chelsea to a Premier League and Champions League
double - his new orange kit.
Cech believes the striking design is scientifically proven to
distract players when shooting for goal and will wear the top in
the Blues' crucial title showdown against Bolton on Sunday.
The 26-year-old is also almost certain to use the new kit
against Manchester United in Moscow and claims the new adidas
shirt, labelled 'Warning' by club officials, will boost his side's
chances of success.
"Studies say the orange colour spreads the most when the striker
attacks, in the split of a second as he focuses," said Cech, whose
side need to get a better result at Stamford Bridge than United
achieve at Wigan to win their third title in four seasons.
"This colour is like a sort of alarm or alert which really
spreads and is very difficult to avoid, so this should be good for
me." Aside from the eye-catching colour, Cech's new jersey could
clash with United's red shirts in Moscow on 21 May.
A UEFA spokesman said: "Chelsea's goalkeeper jersey for the
Champions League final match will be fluorescent orange. The
reserve jersey will be dark grey.
"The referee of the game always has the final word regarding the
jersey. Therefore it is impossible to say today which jersey
Chelsea's goalkeeper will be wearing in Moscow."
Future's bright: 'Studies say the colour is like an alarm or
alert that spreads and is very difficult to avoid'
Kit issues have been raised in the past, with United famously
changing from their ill-advised grey strip at half-time in a match
they were losing 3-1 at Southampton in 1996, after Sir Alex
Ferguson claimed his players were struggling to identify each other
against the backdrop of the crowd.
Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos designed his own eccentric
jerseys in the 1990s with the aim of increasing his popularity and
distracting the opposition.
