The German Football Federation (DFB) has come under heavy criticism for the decision to end its cooperation with Adidas after seven decades and conclude a new deal with Nike from 2027, which, according to a majority opinion, says goodbye to a piece of German identity.
(See: United Arab Emirates agreed to sell liquefied gas to Germany for 15 years)
“I can’t imagine the German shirt without the three stripes,” said Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck in statements cited by German media. “Adidas and Germany are for me part of a whole. I would have liked a little economic patriotism.” , he added.
MP Dorothee Bär, who has her district in the same area as the Adidas headquarters, said the DFB’s decision was “a heartless mistake.”
(Read more: Germany warns that Israel’s offensive in Rafah would be unjustifiable)
On social media, many fans also criticized the change of sponsor, to which the DFB reacted by expressing a certain degree of understanding. “We understand that the issue has an emotional side. For us it is also a before and after when a successful cooperation ends after more than seventy years,” the DFB said on its X account.
The decision to change Adidas with Nike was communicated on Thursday and apparently had fundamentally economic reasons. In fact, Nike had presented the most financially attractive offer, according to the DFB.
(See also: The German company that would be interested in manufacturing passports in Colombia)
In a lightning survey carried out by the newspaper “Bild”, in which 400,000 people participated, 85 percent were against the DFB’s decision.
According to information from the business newspaper “Handelsblatt”, the DFB will receive 100 million euros per year from Nike. Adidas paid 50 million a year.
(Read: Colombia and Germany create committee to make green hydrogen projects viable)
Among the critics was also the Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach. “It seems like a mistake to let commerce destroy a tradition and a hallmark,” Lauterbach said.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder said in X that this is a wrong and incomprehensible decision. “The history of common successes began in 1954 with the unforgettable world title,” said Söder, recalling the so-called “miracle of Bern.”
(See: Nicaragua begins a case at the ICJ against Germany for not ‘preventing a genocide’ in Gaza)
“German football is pure homeland and not a token in the game of international consortia,” he said. Opposition chief Friedrich Merz said the decision was “incomprehensible and unpatriotic.”
EFE