March 22 – The German FA (DFB) will drop Adidas for Nike as a kit supplier, bringing to an end a seven-decades-long partnership with the Bavaria-based sportswear giant.
The news marks the end of an era. The collaboration between Adidas and the German national football team stretches back to the 1950s and the country’s first World Cup success in 1954. The German shirt has interminably been linked to the homegrown sportswear brand and Adidas’s three stripes became synonymous with success on the pitch.
All of that will change, starting in 2027, when American giant Nike and its famous ‘swoosh’ step in to replace Adidas as kit supplier for one of the world’s most successful and iconic teams in a deal that runs through until 2034.
In a statement, German FA (DFB) chief executive Holger Blask said that Nike had “by far the best financial offer”.
Adidas seemed taken aback, writing in a statement: “We were informed by the DFB today that the association will have a new supplier from 2027.”
On X, formerly known as Twitter, the DFB defended the decision to switch from Adidas to Nike: “We understand every emotion. It’s also a drastic event for us as an association when it becomes clear that a partnership that was and is characterised by many special moments is coming to an end after more than 70 years. That doesn’t leave us cold.”
The loss of the kit contract will be a major blow to Adidas, which reported its first loss in 30 years earlier this month. In 2023, Adidas registered a loss of €75 million, following a profit of €612 million the previous year.
The terms of the new deal between the DFB and Nike were not disclosed, but German tabloid Bild reports that Adidas paid the DFB approximately €50 million a year for the kit contract.
This summer Germany will stage Euro 2024, but the host nation is not among the favourites. Julian Nagelsmann will set up base for the tournament at the training complex next to Adidas’s home in Bavaria’s Herzogenaurach.
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