Adidas and the German Football Federation (DFB) have stopped promoting Germany nationwide crew jerseys with the quantity 44 as a result of issues that it resembles a Nazi image.
“We will prevent the customization of jerseys with this number in our online store,” stated Adidas spokesperson Oliver Bruggen.
As of Monday afternoon, it was not doable to personalize jerseys with one’s personal title and quantity within the Adidas on-line store. The DFB has additionally halted the supply of jerseys with the quantity 44 that had already been ordered in its personal on-line store.
Social media customers just lately identified that the quantity 44 within the new design, unveiled final month, bears a resemblance to the emblem of the Schutzstaffel (SS), a significant paramilitary group underneath Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
Adidas confronted sharp criticism, however Bruggen clarified that “the DFB and its partner 11teamsports are responsible for the design of the names and numbers.”
The DFB introduced that another design for the quantity 4 is being developed in collaboration with 11teamsports. The federation additionally acknowledged that it’s double-checking numbers zero to 9 and can submit numbers 1 to 26 to the European soccer governing physique UEFA for examination.
Certain names associated to National Socialism couldn’t be ordered even earlier than the controversy. “This does not comply with our guidelines for personalization. Please try something else,” a message reads when making an attempt to make such a variety.
Bruggen emphasised: “People from around 100 nations work at Adidas. Our company stands for the promotion of diversity and inclusion, and as a company, we actively oppose xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in any form.”
He added, “Any attempts to promote divisive or marginalizing views are not part of our values as a brand.” The firm “firmly rejects any suggestion that this was our intention.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com