BERLIN — German soccer and Adidas are breaking up.
American sportswear giant Nike will supply all of Germany’s national teams with its apparel and equipment from 2027, the German soccer federation (DFB) surprisingly announced Thursday.
The new deal extends to 2034 and ends Germany’s long-standing relationship with Adidas, which goes back some 70 years and had appeared unshakeable.
Germany’s men’s team is using Adidas’ headquarters in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg, as its team base for the European Championship, which Germany is hosting this summer.
Adidas appeared to be surprised by the DFB’s decision to switch to its biggest rival, only confirming in a brief statement: “We were informed by the DFB today that the association will have a new supplier from 2027.”
German teams wore Adidas gear for all four of the men’s World Cup titles, their three European titles, and the women’s two World Cup and eight European titles.
The DFB later defended its switch to the American kit supplier.
Germany players attend a team training session at DFB Campus in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The German soccer federation says American sportswear giant Nike is to supply all of Germany’s national teams with its apparel and equipment from 2027 in a new deal to 2034. It ends Germany’s long-standing association with Adidas, which goes back some 70 years. Credit: AP/Arne Dedert
“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 characterized by many special moments is coming to an end after more than 70 years. That doesn’t leave us cold,” the DFB wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
It said its first priority is soccer and its development in Germany, where it is responsible for more than 24,000 clubs and 2.2 million active players. It said it invests money in member clubs and its amateur base so soccer remains a sport for the people.
“The DFB has to make economic decisions…
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