{"product_id":"2004-05-auxerre-benjani-shirt","title":"Auxerre Away Shirt 2004-05 Uhlsport Benjani vintage","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eAuxerre Away Shirt 2004-05 Uhlsport – The Benjani flocking that's worth a fortune\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e2004-05 season, \u003cstrong\u003eAJ Auxerre\u003c\/strong\u003e played a solid \u003cstrong\u003eLigue 1\u003c\/strong\u003e under Guy Roux, and this \u003cstrong\u003eUhlsport away shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e flocked with \u003cstrong\u003eBenjani Mwaruwari's\u003c\/strong\u003e name perfectly captures that moment — that of a Zimbabwean striker revealing himself to all of Europe before his move to the Premier League. Not a superclub shirt, not a trophy in hand: just real football, from an era when \u003cstrong\u003eAuxerre\u003c\/strong\u003e could still make opponents fear them away from home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eShirt details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:2;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeason:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2004-2005\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClub:\u003c\/strong\u003e AJ Auxerre\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Away\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKit manufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Uhlsport\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e PlayStation 2\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e SLIGHTLY USED PRINTINGS – authentic wear of a worn vintage shirt, slight wear on the flocking, which gives it its full character\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhat this shirt represents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eIn 2004-05, \u003cstrong\u003eAJ Auxerre\u003c\/strong\u003e was still that French football institution, a fixture in \u003cstrong\u003eLigue 1\u003c\/strong\u003e for decades. The Burgundian club was running continuously under the leadership of \u003cstrong\u003eGuy Roux\u003c\/strong\u003e, the most iconic and longest-serving coach in French football history, who would leave his bench in June 2005 after more than forty years at the club. A pivotal era, a shirt that marks the end of an era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003e2004-05 Uhlsport Auxerre away shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e bears the flocking of \u003cstrong\u003eBenjani Mwaruwari\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Zimbabwean striker who arrived at AJA in 2003 and established himself as one of the most exciting offensive talents in the league. Alongside players like \u003cstrong\u003eDjibril Cissé\u003c\/strong\u003e who left for Liverpool the previous summer, Auxerre had unearthed raw talents that all of Europe then snatched up. Benjani is the perfect example: physical, powerful, capable of making a difference on his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eMoments etched in this shirt\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenjani, the striker from Zimbabwe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBenjani Mwaruwari\u003c\/strong\u003e signed for Auxerre from South African club AmaZulu and quickly became one of the most feared strikers in \u003cstrong\u003eLigue 1\u003c\/strong\u003e. His 2004-05 season confirmed everything that was thought of him, to the point of opening the doors to Portsmouth and the \u003cstrong\u003ePremier League\u003c\/strong\u003e in the summer of 2006.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuy Roux, the final stretch of a legend\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThis season is one of \u003cstrong\u003eGuy Roux's\u003c\/strong\u003e last on the Auxerre bench, he who shaped this club from the second division to the heights of French and European football. Wearing this shirt also means carrying the legacy of a man who made \u003cstrong\u003eAuxerre\u003c\/strong\u003e an absolute reference in youth football.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlayStation 2 on the chest — a sponsor that dates an era\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe \u003cstrong\u003ePlayStation 2\u003c\/strong\u003e logo flocked on this shirt is a time capsule in itself: in 2004-05, Sony's PS2 was the best-selling console on the planet and partnerships between gaming brands and football clubs were beginning to explode. A visual detail that tells as much the story of sports marketing as that of the Icaunais club.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eAuthentic vs Replica\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eAn \u003cstrong\u003eauthentic vintage shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e is not the same as a store replica. It's the version worn or at least marketed to be worn, with the same technical materials as on the pitch: fitted cut, period breathable fabrics, clean finishes on the seams and inserts. Here, \u003cstrong\u003eUhlsport\u003c\/strong\u003e delivered a serious product, the German manufacturer being recognized for the quality of its constructions in the 2000s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis one is in \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10 condition\u003c\/strong\u003e with slightly worn prints — SLIGHTLY USED PRINTINGS — which means that the \u003cstrong\u003eBenjani\u003c\/strong\u003e flocking and printed details show very slight traces of use, nothing prohibitive. The fabric itself is intact, the shirt's structure is solid. This is exactly what you'd expect from an \u003cstrong\u003eoriginal twenty-year-old vintage football shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e: a patina that proves its authenticity without compromising its beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eVintage size guide\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage shirts from the 2000s\u003c\/strong\u003e consistently run smaller than modern fits. A 2004-05 Medium often corresponds to a modern Small in terms of chest width and body length. This is a reality of the era: cuts were more fitted, shirts shorter, in the spirit of the game kits of the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore ordering, take out your tape measure: measure your chest circumference flat (from armpit to armpit) and compare with the flat shirt measurements indicated in the product sheet. For a \u003cstrong\u003evintage Uhlsport size M shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e, generally expect a chest between 50 and 53 cm flat. If you are between two sizes, take the larger one for a relaxed fit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhy have it in your collection\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003evintage Auxerre Uhlsport shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e with \u003cstrong\u003eBenjani\u003c\/strong\u003e flocking is almost non-existent on the \u003cstrong\u003ecollector football shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e market. AJA is not a club that major retailers have mass-produced — series were limited, regional distribution, and twenty years later there are almost none left in this condition. This is typically the kind of piece that true collectors of \u003cstrong\u003eFrench football from the 2000s\u003c\/strong\u003e discreetly snap up before everyone realizes their value.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10 condition\u003c\/strong\u003e, this shirt is in a state that few examples of this generation still reach. The slightly worn prints give it character without disfiguring it — it's the sweet spot of vintage: worn enough to be credible, clean enough to be proud to hang or wear it. There really aren't many in this condition, and with such flocking on top of that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eTo go further\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"line-height:2.2;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/AJ_Auxerre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eAJ Auxerre – Wikipedia\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.footballkitarchive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eFootball Kit Archive – History of football shirts\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.uefa.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eUEFA – European Football\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-style:italic;line-height:1.8;\"\u003eIf you grew up with Ligue 1 in the 2000s and the name Benjani means something to you, this shirt is for you — and if you're just discovering it now, even better: welcome to the club.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Other French Clubs","offers":[{"title":"M","offer_id":54011373256979,"sku":"348894","price":149.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_2004-05-AUXERRE-BENJANI-SHIRT-M-348894_5.jpg?v=1775480621","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/2004-05-auxerre-benjani-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}