Ripped socks are nothing new on a football pitch. But the holes in Ismael Saibari's have become the talk of the German league, sparking questions over their legality and whether Bayern Munich's new star has actually breached competition rules.
Saibari, aged 25 and a recent arrival at the Bavarian club, played through Bayern Munich's goalless 0-0 draw with Schalke wearing socks with 12 holes in them. His legs looked as though they were inside a piece of Swiss cheese, according to German newspaper "Bild".
Plenty of players resort to tearing their socks to relieve the pressure the tight fabric puts on their calf muscles, especially as the physical intensity of a match ramps up.
An English expert told "Mirror" that footballers' calves swell during a game as blood flow to them increases with exertion, which can tighten the socks and pile more pressure on the muscles.
Saibari addressed the issue himself recently, after his brilliant showing in the big 5-1 win over Stuttgart. He told "Bild" that it was about making sure his socks were not too tight, explaining that his calf muscles are thick.
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Are the holes in Saibari's socks permitted?
The German league regulations look clear on the matter, however common the practice may be among players. The fourth appendix of the German Football League's licensing regulations, specifically the guidelines on match clothing and equipment issued on 5 December 2025, spells it out. Clause 42.1 c.3 states that "undersocks and visible ordinary socks must not contain holes".
In theory, then, the holes in Saibari's socks fall foul of the wording. That does not mean a referee will step in every time, as refereeing expert Lutz Wagner explained to "Bild".
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Wagner, aged 63, said FIFA and the International Football Association Board had decided the referee must be able to see a clear colour distinction. That, he pointed out, is what matters most from the official's point of view.
A referee must intervene, he added, if that distinction is no longer clear or guaranteed, because it ties directly to his ability to pick out the offending player.
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It comes down to more than appearance. The referee has to recognise the player who committed a foul in an instant. If the socks or equipment cause visual confusion, he may struggle to identify the culprit and end up cautioning the wrong man.
Saibari's holey socks have become a talking point in the German league. Not just for the sheer number of holes, but for the question hanging over them: do they break the rules, and will referees treat them as an offence or wave them through as nothing more than a curious detail on the pitch?