Opinion Adidas-Aus at the DFB
This is called a market economy, Mr. Economics Minister!
Status: 22.03.2024 | Reading time: 2 minutes
After more than 70 years – Nike beats Adidas for the national football team
A turning point for the national team: The German Football Association is letting the contract with long-term partner Adidas expire and will be equipped by Nike from 2027. The DFB justified the surprising decision, among other things, by saying that Nike had made by far the best economic offer.
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The national soccer team will play in Nike jerseys from 2027. Green Economics Minister Robert Habeck therefore accuses the DFB of lacking patriotism. A point of view that is nonsensical, and not just from an economic perspective.
So, a lack of local patriotism. Another word that first has to be transferred to the internal dictionary because it was previously missing there. Robert Habeck has accused the German Football Association (DFB) of lacking local patriotism because the association will enter into a pact with Nike from 2027 instead of Adidas. The US sporting goods giant will then put its Swoosh on all of the DFB’s national teams, thereby removing the three stripes from the sleeve that adorned the white national shirt for decades.
So a lack of local patriotism? That seems absurd. Simply because the Federal Minister of Economics has not exactly been characterized by exaggerated love of the fatherland (=patriotism) in the past; There are even quotes that he finds it “sucking”. The fact that he is now supporting the friendly neighborhood group Adidas is of course in keeping with the times: regionally and seasonally, also in the sportswear sector.
Only recently, Economics Minister Habeck and his government colleagues promoted the European Championships in Germany
What: REUTERS
From an economic perspective, however, this is nonsense. Because why should the DFB turn down a significantly better offer? For reasons of local patriotism? Would Habeck also blame other German companies for preferring better foreign offers over domestic ones? He would have a lot to do there. Or does sport have a special role?
German Football Association under pressure
The cash-strapped DFB would be out of pocket if, in its current situation, it were to turn down an offer that will reportedly bring him 100 million euros per year. This is called a market economy. Adidas was free to follow suit or outdo it. Apparently it wasn’t worth it for the Herzogenaurach company.
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Speaking of patriotism: The association cannot afford to forego additional income simply because that very “location” wants to dip into its coffers. The Frankfurt tax office has withdrawn the DFB’s non-profit status for 2014 and 2015 and is threatened with back taxes in the double-digit million range.
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In addition, the association has been fighting for years against the deprivation of its non-profit status for 2006 and the subsequent tax payment of around 22 million euros. And that’s right. However, the DFB is not insisting on local patriotism. He would probably be laughed at too.