Germany's DFB Slammed For Rejecting Nike Deal

The DFB, German soccer's governing body, has been widely criticised for rejecting a 500 million (US$682.4 million) deal with Nike, the sports equipment manufacturer, to remain with long-standing partner Adidas until 2018.

The national association announced today that it had agreed a deal with Adidas worth 20 million (US$27.2 million) a year, plus 5 million (US$6.8 million) a year in youth development and grass roots soccer funding, ending a long-running dispute between the two parties over the length of the contract.

However, the DFB's decision has been described as a missed opportunity by not only Nike, but also the German Football League (DFL) and several of its member clubs, after the DFB elected to reject an offer worth around three times that proposed by Adidas.

In January, Nike had attempted to break up Adidas' long-standing association with the DFB by offering the federation a 62.5 million (US$85 million) a year, eight-year deal from 2011 to 2018.

Adidas' existing contract was worth 10 million (US$13.6 million) to 11 million (US$15 million) a year, a sum it will continue to pay until 2011 when the new contract kicks in.

Hubertus Hoyt, the head of Nike Germany, described the DFB's choice as "the biggest loss in the history of German football, no matter how the decision was arrived at and who holds the responsibility for it".

German Brand







ADIDAS

http://www.adidas.com/com/

http://www.adidas.com/de/






ERIMA

http://www.erima.de/






JAKO

http://www.jako.de/de

http://www.jakousa.com/

http://www.jako.co.uk/






REUSCH

http://www.reusch.com/site/






UHLSPORT

http://www.uhlsport.de/

http://www.uhlsport.com/






PUMA

http://www.puma.com/pindex.jsp

http://www.pumafootball.com/






SALLER

http://www.sport-saller.de/