Since 2011, the French football team has no longer been equipped by Adidas. With the German brand, however, it has enjoyed great success, such as during the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Today, the outfits worn by the Blues are designed by Nike, with whom their contract runs until 2026.
Bjørn Gulden, the boss of Adidas, declared in an interview with AFP that the German brand would not spend a disproportionate amount to try to equip the French team again. He simply explained that Adidas would make an offer “at an appropriate price”, without going beyond a certain amount. The call for tenders should be launched soon by the French Football Federation.
Adidas linked to Germany since 1950
In March, Adidas suffered a real snub since it was overtaken by Nike to equip the German national team for the period 2027-2034. The brand with the three stripes has been linked to the Mannschaft for more than 70 years. The move to an American competitor caused a reaction in Germany: “I can hardly imagine the German jersey without the three stripes,” declared Minister and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck.
Adidas had equipped Germany since 1950 and had therefore benefited from its four World Cup successes (1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014). Bjørn Gulden shared his surprise with AFP about the sum promised by Nike to the German Football Federation: “Value for money is always something that we analyze and if the figures circulating are correct, then This seems inexplicable to us. » According to the German daily Handelsblattthis amount would be 100 million euros per year.
Bjørn Gulden also explained that the advertising impact generated by clubs like Bayern Munich or Real Madrid was more lucrative than partnerships with the selections. He also called the 2024 Paris Olympics “an important element for the future of the brand”. The head of Adidas would like to diversify the group’s activities and equip “a wider range of sports”.
