Row erupts over German football kit deal

The contract will pass from the German company to US firm Nike from 2027. The DFB said the deal made financial sense and would support grassroots German football. However, according to reports in the German press, Nike agreed to pay about €100m (£86m; $108m) per year. The DFB said on X, formerly Twitter, that it understood the emotional reaction to its decision.

Bavarian premier Markus Soeder said the national team always plays in the three stripes of Adidas. He said German football should not be #34;a pawn in international corporate battles. The announcement of the Nike deal comes just months ahead of Euro 2024. The DFB said the future partnership with Nike ensures that we can continue to carry out our central tasks for football in the coming decade.

The announcement comes after the DFB announced that it had signed a five-year deal with Nike worth an estimated $1. 2 billion. Adidas said it would not comment on contractual details. Germany is using Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg, as its base for the tournament.

The row over the German kit comes as politicians in England criticise a Nike design for the England team kit. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the St George#39;s Cross should not be messed with.