Why Real Madrid wore black socks vs. Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semifinals

There is a reason behind it

Real Madrid may have looked a bit different on Wednesday when they played at Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. With the Blues wearing a blue jersey, blue shorts and white socks, Real didn't go with their all white kit, instead going white jersey, white shorts and black socks, which may have surprised some. 

Real Madrid actually used to wear black socks, switching to all white back in 1955, as AS pointed out on Twitter:

Real Madrid are wearing a version of their old kit - with black socks. They changed to all white in 1955.

(Photo from 1917, not tonight) pic.twitter.com/nzpj3zNE4o

— AS English (@English_AS) May 5, 2021

Here's how it looked:

Los Blancos went with the black socks on Wednesday. Getty Images

Real hadn't worn the black socks in over 10 years, using it last in the 2007-08 Copa del Rey. But why? The reason why teams will switch socks is to insure there are contrasting socks between the two teams in order to help officials to determine who touched the ball last in certain situations.

If a bunch of players in white socks are going after a ball, it can be a bit tricky to see who touched it last. So, having those different colors makes it easier for these officials to make proper calls in a game.