Arsenal 2015-2016 Third Shirt - Özil No.11 (XXL)

📐 Flat measurements

The tip that prevents returns: lay flat a shirt that fits you well, measure it the same way and compare. Vintage often fits differently from new — this is a true XXL, wide and long.

I am playing this one straight, because there are three things to know before buying — and I have photographed all of them close up:

• A small snag in the fabric right next to the crest (visible in photo 5). It does not go through the fabric and is not spreading, but it is there.
• A few tiny white marks on the black, below the crest (photo 6). Discreet, but visible up close on dark fabric.
• The inner label has been torn out by a previous owner (photo 7). That is common with players who find the label irritating — but it means there is no product code left to read on this shirt. Authentication therefore rests on the other markers (see below).

Everything else is very good: the black has not faded, the cyan and gold panels are still vivid, the ÖZIL No.11 nameset is intact with no lifting at all (photo 4), the UEFA patches are firmly bonded and the collar is not stretched.

Unsure about the size? Check my vintage football shirt sizing guide.

✦ Authenticity guaranteed for life

Every piece is checked by hand in my authentication workshop. If a shirt bought from me is ever identified as a counterfeit, I refund it in full. Guarantee with no expiry date.

Since the inner label has been torn out (photo 7), here is exactly what my authentication rests on:

• The nameset in the official UEFA Champions League font for the 2015-2016 season, with the Arsenal crest built into the bottom of each digit (photo 4) — the hardest marker to fake, and the most telling
• UEFA starball patch and RESPECT patch heat-pressed in the correct positions, matching the competition specifications (photos 1 and 2)
• Arsenal crest and leaping puma in matte gold, with the finish and thickness of the original transfer (photo 3); cyan / gold / white panel cut matching the 2015-2016 third model
• Full method: authentication guide

📖 2015-2016: Özil's best season in England

This black, cyan and gold third is one of the most unusual shirts in Arsenal's recent history — and it lands on the season when Mesut Özil was the English league's best provider. A European-night shirt, printed with the playmaker's number, in a large size: that combination is rare.

📅 2015-2016 season — 19 assists. Özil finished the Premier League with 19 assists, one short of the single-season record held by Thierry Henry. It is the statistical peak of his English career.

📅 May 2016 — Arsenal finish 2nd in the Premier League. In the wildest season in the league's history, the one of Leicester's shock title, Arsenal finished second: the best finish of Arsène Wenger's final years.

📅 A European competition shirt. The starball and RESPECT patches indicate a Champions League configuration. Arsenal played the competition that season and were knocked out in the round of 16 by the Barcelona of Messi, Suárez and Neymar.

👑 Mesut Özil — a 2014 World Cup winner with Germany, he joined Arsenal in 2013 from Real Madrid for what was then a club transfer record. He stayed eight years. His No.11 shirts, especially in the European version, are the ones I see sell fastest among collectors of the Wenger period.

🎯 Who is this shirt for?

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Not sure? My Mystery Box offer is a great alternative — just add “Arsenal” in the order notes.

❓ Frequently asked questions about this shirt

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