Adidas received a red card from the players

An international manufacturer flipped the flag of Russia on the form of the football team, which caused the anger of athletes and the RFU.
14.11.2019
Kommersant
Origin source
The Russian Football Union (RFU) has a conflict with the outfitter of the national team - Adidas. The Russian team was supposed to complete the qualifying round of Euro 2020, the most successful in its history, in a new form from Adidas. However, its final version, according to sources in the RFU, did not suit either the players or the fans. Their particular indignation was caused by the fact that the colors of the Russian tricolor on the sleeves of t-shirts were turned upside down. As a result, the Russian team will continue to use old-style equipment. Note that the RFU contract with Adidas expires only in 2022 and so far the parties have not announced their intention to terminate it.

There was a conflict between the Russian Football Union and the official outfitter of the national team - Adidas. The reason was the dissatisfaction of the RFU with the new form, the presentation of which took place last week. According to Kommersant, a source familiar with the discussion of the situation in the RFU, two factors caused claims. Firstly, and this, it seems, the main thing, the form was not liked by many fans who noted its unsuccessful design.
The most negative reaction was caused by the location of the colors of the Russian flag on the sleeves of T-shirts - they are located in the reverse order.

In social networks, the uniform was called the suitable national team of Serbia, the flag of which is white, unlike the Russian color, not at the top, but at the bottom. Note that Adidas in the same style defeated national colors and in the form of the German national team. But there they are located in the same order as on the flag. Secondly, the interlocutor of Kommersant claims, the submitted form is inferior in quality to the previous version. This supposedly concerns the quality of the fabric, and the features of the cut.

As a result, the RFU decided that the Euro 2020 qualifying tournament, the most successful, by the way, in the history of the Russian national team (Stanislav Cherchesov’s wards received a ticket to the European Championship ahead of schedule, guaranteeing themselves second place in the group, and still have chances to become the first) , the team will end in the form of an old pattern. At the same time, according to unofficial information, even the question of changing the outfit was raised. The RFU contract with Adidas expires in 2022.

It is noteworthy that the players themselves reacted to the new form without negativity.

For example, the midfielder of the national team Alexei Miranchuk on Wednesday said that he had been at the presentation in a new form for two hours and was satisfied. Previously, Stanislav Cherchesov spoke positively about the new equipment. He said that along with the players he was directly involved in her choice, and said that he was impressed by both color and design.

Adidas could not promptly provide Kommersant with a comment, but promised in the near future to announce its official position. But it does not seem that the company intends to redo the form. After all, she has already gone on sale. In the Adidas online store, T-shirts of the Russian national team of a new sample are sold at 5,999 rubles.
As former PR director of Adidas CIS Nikolay Petrosyan told Kommersant, work on the design of a new form usually begins about a year and a half before its presentation. When creating it, the outfitter is based solely on the technical specifications formulated by the customer, who is the copyright holder of the form and its image. In the course of design coordination, the matter is not limited to providing sketches. Samples of equipment are being prepared, which show both the management, the organization that ordered it, in this case, the RFU, and many team players. And only after the approval of the design, materials, the cut form goes into production.

“The RFU did not say that they were refusing the contract. Their statement only states that the team will use the previous form for now. And it’s not clear where the rumors about the termination of the contract come from, ”said Mr. Petrosyan.“ But I don’t think that the Adidas headquarters will be very upset if the RFU leaves early.

Do not think that there will immediately be a line of outfitters who are ready to pay the RFU for the right to produce a uniform that does not sell well. ”

According to Nikolai Petrosyan, the annual sales of T-shirts of the Russian team are “several tens of thousands of pieces.” “For comparison, Germany’s T-shirts are sold 1.3 million each year. And in 2014, when the Germans won the World Cup in Brazil, sales reached 3 million units, ”said Nikolai Petrosyan.

Note that Adidas pays € 50 million annually for the right to equip German national teams. As for payments under a contract with the RFU, according to various sources, they range from € 5 million to € 7 million per year.

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