After criticism of the design, the German Football Association has redesigned the look of the number 4 on the national jersey. National player Bibiane Schulze Solano, who was substituted at half-time, wore the jersey with the newly designed number on Friday evening in the DFB team’s 3-2 win against Austria in Linz. “We are very happy that it worked out, FIFA is too already released,” said the DFB on Saturday with a view to the world football association. The German Football Association announced a change last Monday in collaboration with its partner 11teamsports. In view of the short time until the women’s national team’s European Championship qualifier, the work had already started on Tuesday, it was now said.
Last weekend, the sporting goods manufacturer Adidas and the DFB adjusted the sale of jerseys. The back number 44 in the old design was reminiscent of the runes of the Schutzstaffel SS from the National Socialist era. It was no longer possible to personalize the jerseys with your own name and number in the Adidas store on Monday afternoon, and the DFB stopped the delivery of ordered combinations with the 44 in its own online shop.
The combination was noticed on social media and many people took part in the discussion. “The DFB and its partner 11teamsports are responsible for the design of the names and numbers,” said Adidas spokesman Oliver Brüggen when asked by the German Press Agency at the beginning of April.
Certain names with a connection to National Socialism could not be ordered from Adidas and the DFB. “This does not meet our personalization guidelines. Please try something else,” appeared as a note at Adidas when making a corresponding selection.
“People from around 100 nations work at Adidas, our company stands for the promotion of diversity and inclusion, and as a company we actively campaign against xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in all forms,” said Brüggen. “Any attempts to promote divisive or exclusionary views are not part of our values as a brand.” The company “strongly rejects any suggestions that this was our intention.”
The new jersey was presented shortly before the two international matches in France (2:0) and against the Netherlands (2:1). The campaign was accompanied by commercials that received a very positive response.
