National jersey Lauterbach on DFB supplier change: “wrong decision”
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach reacts with incomprehension to the change of supplier at the DFB. photo
© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
After Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach also criticized the DFB’s change of supplier.
The announced change of supplier at the German Football Association (DFB) from Adidas to Nike is not leaving top German politicians indifferent.
After Economics Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens), Health Minister Karl Lauterbach also criticized the decision. “Adidas should no longer be the national jersey in football? Instead a US company? I think it’s a wrong decision where commerce is destroying a tradition and a piece of home…” wrote the SPD politician on X, the former Twitter.
Habeck had explained: “I can hardly imagine the German jersey without the three stripes. For me, Adidas and black-red-gold always belonged together. A piece of German identity. I would have liked a bit more local patriotism.”
On Thursday, the DFB announced that the US sporting goods manufacturer Nike will equip all German national teams from 2027. This marks the end of a partnership with Adidas that has lasted more than 70 years. Adidas was the supplier for all four World Cup titles and all three European Championship titles for men as well as for the two World Cup titles and the eight European Championship trophies for women. The collaboration with Nike is initially scheduled to run until 2034.
According to information from the “Handelsblatt”, the US sporting goods manufacturer Nike will have the new equipment contract with the German Football Association cost more than 100 million euros per year from 2027. This is said to have become known from industry circles, as the paper reports. This would mean that Nike would far exceed the previous contract amount of the current supplier Adidas. The long-standing partner Adidas, which will continue to equip all national teams until the end of 2026, is expected to transfer around 50 million euros annually to the DFB. The association announced the new deal on Thursday, but did not mention the contract amount. It simply said that Nike had “made by far the best economic offer.”
dpa
#Subjects
