Football supplier switch to Nike
DFB President Neuendorf attacks Robert Habeck
As of: 9:15 p.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
“Adidas’ reaction suggests it wasn’t stylish”
“You can’t keep a deal with this dimension secret until after the European Championships,” says BILD sports director Walter M. Straten about the DFB’s change of supplier. The DFB will play with Nike instead of Adidas from 2027. The contract with the US sports manufacturer is scheduled to run until 2034.
The change of supplier from Adidas to Nike continues to be the dominant topic at the DFB. Now association president Bernd Neuendorf is defending himself against statements from politicians and is explicitly addressing Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck.
The change from three stripes to the Swoosh continues to make waves. The German Football Association (DFB) surprisingly announced on Thursday, two and a half months before the start of the European Championship, that the contract with long-term partner Adidas would expire at the end of 2026 after more than 70 years. From 2027 until the end of 2034, US rival Nike will equip the DFB. Numerous politicians criticized this.
“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,” said Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).
Karl Lauterbach (SPD) also criticized the DFB’s deal and wrote on “X”: Adidas should no longer be the national jersey in football? A US company instead? I think it’s a wrong decision where commerce is destroying a tradition and a piece of home.” Bavaria’s Prime Minister Marcus Söder (CSU) couldn’t understand why the DFB was changing supplier.
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf
Those: dpa/Federico Gambarini
These statements are met with great incomprehension by the DFB. Before the national team’s test match in Lyon against France (click here for the live ticker), DFB President Bernd Neuendorf commented on the move from Adidas to Nike.
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I was very surprised at some of the political statements that were obviously made without any knowledge of the facts. “I find the Economics Minister’s statement very strange. This is about market economics. I would be happy to explain the background to the minister. This money really helps us to promote young talent. We don’t have to apologize for that. The decision was almost made for us,” said Neuendorf on ZDF.
“It’s surprising that an economics minister would make such a statement”
DFB managing director Andreas Rettig also clearly rejected criticism from politicians about the change of supplier. “To make such a statement without knowing the general conditions and the process is quite surprising – that an economics minister would make such a statement,” said Rettig. According to a report by the “Handelsblatt” citing industry circles, Nike’s involvement with the DFB will cost more than 100 million euros per year. Adidas is said to have paid 50 million euros annually to the association so far.
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The offers were “not remotely comparable,” said Rettig without giving specific figures. “We have responsibility for many hundreds of employees, we have responsibility for the regional associations, for the grassroots. “So you shouldn’t blame us for making such a decision in an economic situation.”
