Germany extend with Adidas until 2022
June 20, 2016Adidas's new deal, which they announced on Monday, comes in the face of interest from Nike, who were keen to become Germany's kit provider as part of a global football push. The four-year contract will become the most lucrative national team sportswear contract.
Adidas current deal with Germany is worth 25 million euros ($28.3 million). Their new deal will take full affect in 2018.
"I can tell you that we made the DFB an offer of over 50 million euros a year and the DFB accepted," Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer told a press conference in Paris during the European Championship. "We belong together."
"They were the clearest, most sophisticated and, in the end, the most economically successful negotiations in our federation's history," said DFB president Reinhard Grindel. "And they produced a very good conclusion."
Nike on their tail
Adidas has been Germany's official kit manufacturer for over 60 years. The Bavarian-based company has generally agreed to 10-year contracts in the past, but has seen increased pressure from Nike. The American sportswear giant has already taken away Adidas's partnership with France in 2011, and also sponsors Brazil, England and Portugal.
Adidas said last week it expects to sell 1.3 million Germany jerseys this year, helped by Germany's presence at Euro 2016. That is more than the 1 million it sold in 2012 when the last Euro tournament took place, but down from the 3 million shirts it shifted in 2014, when Germany won the World Cup.
Germany is set to take on Northern Ireland in Paris on Tuesday as part of the final round of the group stage.
dv/ (AFP/Reuters)