Berlin Crises German FA over New Nike Deal, Calling It “A Tradition and A Piece of Home Destroyed”

Berlin was shocked to learn that German football had decided to stop using Adidas as its kit supplier on Friday. The minister of economics criticized the move to the US sportswear giant Nike, calling it a lack of “patriotism.”

According to a statement sent to AFP, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said, “It is difficult to envision the Germany shirt without the three stripes.”

Adidas and the colors black, red, and gold have always belonged together, according to Habeck, who called the combination a “piece of German identity.”

Given the challenging circumstances facing both the domestic sportswear brand and the economy, Habeck said that he “would have hoped for more patriotism” from the German Football Association (DFB).

On Thursday, the DFB announced that it will be ending its long-standing relationship with Adidas and choosing Nike as its new supplier starting in 2027.

Since the 1950s, German national teams have worn Adidas apparel, and the collaboration has come to be associated with success on the field.

Just a few months before the men’s European football championships are scheduled to begin in Germany in June, a shocking revelation was made.

Karl Lauterbach, the health minister, said on X, previously Twitter, on Thursday that the choice to leave Adidas was the “wrong one.”

Lauterbach said that the action caused “commerce to destroy a tradition and a piece of home.”

According to DFB CEO Holger Blask, the agreement with Nike, which is valid until 2034, was “by far the best financial offer” that was made.

The agreement with the US business was reportedly worth twice as much as the stated value of the Adidas arrangement, or around 100 million euros ($108 million) annually, according to the Handelsblatt financial daily.

Adidas suffered a devastating setback by losing the contract for the German national team in 2023—the company suffered its first defeat in thirty years.