Union Berlin Announce Adidas Kit Deal
Feb 3, 2019, by Pat
For the first time in many years, Adidas has added a major team in Germany to its lineup, inking a six-year deal with Union Berlin of Bundesliga 2.
Since Union Berlin's current deal with Macron is only due to end in 2020, the Adidas partnership will come into effect in two stages. Starting in the 2019-20 season, the club's players will wear red-and-white Adidas shoes. It was not specified whether this refers to on- or off-pitch attire, but the former is unlikely to be possible for at least those who have their own personal brand deals already.
From 2020-21, Union Berlin's kits will feature the legendary 3 Stripes in a deal that will initially run until the end of the 2024-25 season.
While no financial details were disclosed, media reports state that the Adidas Union Berlin kit deal is worth around €700k per season.
Union Berlin joins Bayern Munich, Hamburg and Ingolstadt as the only major teams of Germany to wear Adidas. After the brand ditched contracts such as Schalke recently because it said it wanted to focus more on its top-tier teams such as Manchester united and Real Madrid, signing up Union Berlin might be a sign of things to come.
“We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with Adidas and and we’re convinced that this partnership will send the right signal for the future,” said Thomas Stäpke, Director for Finance and Sales at 1. FC Union Berlin. “Now, though, we are looking forward to our new shirt range with our long-standing partner Macron this summer, which, as in previous years, will feature some unique elements.”
Stäpke continued: “With Macron and our shoe partner Nike, we can look back on a trustworthy cooperation. We are extremely grateful for the time together.”
Paul Boerboom, Managing Director for Adidas Germany: “We are looking forward to the cooperation with 1. FC Union Berlin. As the world’s leading football brand, we are proud now to have a Berlin club as a partner. Focusing on major cities is an essential part of our strategy. The partnership with Union will help us to further expand our strong position in the capital. 1. FC Union Berlin enjoys a strong position in national and international football culture and have fans far beyond their city boundaries. The popular club is therefore an ideal partner for Adidas.”
Are you happy to see Union Berlin make the switch from Macron to Adidas? Drop us a line below.
Al Sadd SC 26-27 Away Kit Released
Al Sadd SC and New Balance have officially unveiled the club's new away kit for the 2026-27 season. Following the launch of their traditional white home strip earlier this month, the Qatari powerhouse turns to a black and gold look for their away matches in domestic and continental competitions.
The New Balance Al Sadd 26-27 away shirt combines a black base with striking diagonal and curved gold linework across the front. The metallic gold treatment extends to the New Balance logo, the Qatar Airways front-of-shirt sponsor, and the monochrome club crest topped by two stars. As a bespoke detail, a golden wolf motif is placed on the upper back below the collar.
Black shorts and black socks complete the full New Balance Al Sadd 2026-27 away uniform.
Newcastle United Deny Adidas Stadium Sponsorship Rumors
Speculation surfaced online suggesting that Newcastle United were in discussions with kit supplier Adidas regarding a potential stadium sponsorship deal for St James' Park. The German sportswear brand already has a major presence across the stadium following the launch of their lucrative kit partnership, featuring branding across the stands and stadium facilities.
However, reports linking Adidas to an official stadium sponsorship deal have been swiftly shot down. According to Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards, Newcastle United are not in talks with the three stripes brand over stadium naming or presenting rights, with club sources strongly denying any Adidas involvement in such negotiations.
While Adidas is ruled out, Newcastle are actively in preliminary talks with other international commercial partners for a stadium sponsorship agreement. The club's commercial leadership aims to drive substantial revenue growth in the coming years while maintaining the historic St James' Park name alongside any prospective sponsor.
No More Warrix: Hummel Uthai Thani 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Danish sportswear brand Hummel has officially revealed the new 2026-27 kit collection for Thai League side Uthai Thani FC. The launch marks a new kit partnership for the Thai club, with Hummel continuing to expand its presence across Thai football for the 26-27 campaign.
The Uthai Thani 26-27 home kit features a bold red base combined with contrasting black raglan shoulder panels and white sleeve sections, accented by the classic Hummel chevrons. The away jersey takes on a rich blue look covered in an intricate all-over graphic pattern and paired with white-and-blue striped trim on the collar and cuffs. Rounding out the outfield options, the third shirt showcases a soft light blue to pale yellow vertical gradient on the body, framed by black and yellow shoulder detailing.
Hummel also presented three distinct goalkeeper strips for the season in lime green, dark charcoal with orange accents, and a sandy tan colorway with light blue trim. All shirts in the collection proudly feature Uthai Thani FC's elephant crest on the chest alongside Chang and GRC sponsorship branding.
Ajax Player' Goalkeeper Kit Was Manually Created by the Club
A curious detail has emerged regarding AFC Ajax's kit specifications for the 26-27 season. While Ajax outfield players take the pitch wearing standard replica-spec shirts with embroidered crests and fan-grade fabric, goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has been spotted wearing a genuine player-issue authentic Adidas shirt.
The difference comes down to how Adidas structures its team tiers and produces goalkeeper templates. Since Ajax is not currently classified as an Adidas Elite partner, the three stripes brand does not manufacture dedicated authentic player-spec versions for their outfield kits. However, Adidas makes authentic base goalkeeper shirts available to its clubs, complete with lightweight Climacool+ performance fabric, printed Adidas branding, and the official authentic hem jocktag.
To prepare the shirt for matchday, Ajax manually customized the blank authentic goalkeeper template in-house by heat-applying the club's three-starred crest and sponsor graphics. This process allows ter Stegen to wear a true high-performance shirt on the pitch, even as the rest of the squad continues to play in standard replica shirts.
