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Adidas and the German national team, the strongest commercial link in the history of sports, will separate from 2027. The DFB, the German football federation, announced the decision this Thursday, while announcing that Nike, the football brand sportswear that makes the most in the world, will be the future manufacturer of its official uniforms. The 50 million euros that Adidas paid annually did not satisfy the most powerful federation in Europe, mired in a financial crisis comparable to the political and economic uncertainty that has gripped Germany since 2022.
The DFB, chaired by social democrat Bernd Neuendorf, broke the news in a statement: “The federation will partner with Nike on equipment from 2027 to 2034. Nike will equip all DFB national teams and promote German football. In its whole”.
This will conclude 77 years of a relationship that began in 1950, when in the middle of the post-war period Germany was excluded from the World Cup in Brazil. The link cemented the legend of the national team with the most titles in European football starting with the 1954 World Cup final in Switzerland, held in Bern. The chroniclers of the Mannschaft They say that it was Adolf Dassler himself, the founder of the shoe factory, who acted as a kit man on the rainy night in Bern and changed the studs on the boots of the national team that faced the great Hungary of Puskas. Legend has it that Dassler’s invention, the boot with interchangeable studs, allowed the German players to gain stability on the wet field while the Magyars slipped. The World Cup, raised by Fritz Walter, was the origin of a mythical association. Four World Cups later there is a momentous break for the German industry. With almost 5% weight, Adidas is the largest textile company on the DAX, the index of German companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Adidas spokesman Oliver Brüggen reported that the DFB’s decision to link its destiny to the Oregon logo surprised the German manufacturer. “Our contract with the DFB ends at the end of 2026. Today the DFB informed us that the federation will have a new supplier from 2027.”
Losses after 30 years of profits
The news hits Adidas in what is probably the darkest moment in its history. Last week, the brand reported that it had suffered its first annual losses in more than 30 years, while announcing that US stores will sell fewer Adidas products in 2024. The company has been struggling to overcome the identity crisis since which terminated its contract with American artist Kanye West, in October 2022, and suspended sales of the popular Yeezy sneaker line.
The German team will gather at the Adidas headquarters in Herzobenaurach, in Bavaria, during the next Euro Cup, which will be held in Germany between June 14 and July 14. The team’s headquarters in recent decades will also have to change its address sooner or later. “We look forward to working with Nike and appreciate the trust placed in us,” said Neuendorf. “The future partnership will allow the DFB to continue carrying out key tasks in the coming decade with a view to the comprehensive development of football in Germany. One thing is also clear: until December 2026, we will do everything possible to achieve shared success with our current and long-term partner, Adidas, to whom German football owes a lot for more than seven decades.”
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