Netherlands 2012 Home - v. Persie 16 (Large)

Nike gave the Netherlands a surprisingly detailed home shirt for Euro 2012. The two darker-orange panels formed a loose diagonal sash, deliberately referencing the design of the country’s first national-team kit from 1904. Inside the collar was the phrase “Nieuwe Meesters” (“New Masters”), linking the squad to the famous Dutch masters of the 17th century.

Robin van Persie arrived at the tournament after a huge season with Arsenal, but there was an unusual detail on his Netherlands shirt: he wore No.16, while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was given No.9.

The clearest Van Persie moment in this exact orange design came against Germany in Kharkiv. With the Netherlands 2-0 down, he collected the ball outside the area and drove a low shot past Manuel Neuer in the 73rd minute to make it 2-1. It was ultimately not enough, but it was the Netherlands’ only goal of the match and Van Persie’s only goal of the tournament.

The tournament itself became a major disappointment, with the Netherlands losing all three group games despite a squad containing Van Persie, Sneijder and Robben. That contrast gives the shirt an unusual place in Oranje history: a design celebrating the idea of new Dutch masters, worn by a hugely talented team whose Euro campaign unravelled almost immediately.