It was already an unwelcome controversy and the recent context of the European elections, where the AFD, the far-right party in Germany, achieved its best score since its creation in 2013, has only revived it. At the beginning of April, by unveiling its home and away jerseys for the Nationalmannschaft, the local equipment manufacturer Adidas sowed confusion because of the shape chosen for the numbers, the number 4 in the first place.
Thus, by opting for a 44 flocking, the composition chosen gave the impression of strangely resembling the acronym “SS”, for “Schutzstaffel”, one of the infamous organizations founded a hundred years earlier during the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler. The controversy panicked social networks and Adidas was forced to remove the visual, cancel orders placed and review its plans.
“None of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism in the process of creating the jersey design,” the German Federation had defended itself. Adidas, for its part, assured that it opposed “actively opposes xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in all their forms”.
Central defender Jonathan Tah, who wears number 4, had however had time to try it out during the friendly against France last March, but the copy has since been revised and he sports an alternative design at the Euro. It is also not possible to personalize his flocking on the websites of the equipment supplier and the Federation.
The debate has, in any case, had no influence on sales since the German tunics are out of stock, starting with the pink-purple away version and sometimes number 8 in reference to Toni Kroos (who will retire at the end of the tournament). In Dortmund, on the eve of Germany’s round of 16 match against Denmark at the Westfalenstadion on Saturday evening (9 p.m.), there is no point wasting time looking for one.
As much as there was availability, including the 1996 vintage collection, before the start of the competition, the start of the host country panicked the market. At SportScheck in Dortmund only children’s sizes or accessories remain. At the neighboring Decathlon, the busts of the models are also naked, awaiting restocking. Adidas would work on it.
The German portal Check24 also took advantage of the situation to carry out a marketing and media coup by donating several million tunics in German colors and with the company logo. You can see them almost everywhere in the streets. Reception is free for a simple registration. And the personal data that goes with it…
