No More Nike After 23 Years - La Liga Announce Puma Ball Deal
La Liga today confirmed the long-term partnership with German sportswear brand Puma that was reported last month. Puma replaces current La Liga ball supplier Nike, who had been making La Liga's Official Match Ball since 1996-97.
Puma sponsors some of the best players in the league - Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak, Samuel Umtiti and Santi Cazorla, while the brand will have two more clubs in the market from 2019-2020: Girona FC and Valencia CF.
Puma Becomes La Liga Ball Supplier From 2019-20 Season
Puma becomes the league’s official technical partner from the 2019-20 season, producing the official match ball and various other products for games in La Liga, as well as the second tier; LaLiga 1|2|3 matches (Segunda División). The deal will last until the end of the 2021-22 season. Puma is reported to be paying €5 million (US$5.6 million - €1.7 million / season) to take over from current suppliers, Nike.
Nike has been the technical partner of the Spanish soccer league since the 1996-97 season but apparently president Javier Tebas was unhappy that the balls being produced by the US giant were too similar to those of rival European Leagues.
La Liga’s marketing and commercial director Juan Carlos Díaz, said: “It is an honour for an historical sports brand like Puma to want to associate with the best league in the world, “We are convinced that this agreement will be very fruitful for both companies and will allow us to continue facing our future challenges.”
“We are extremely proud to have partnered with one of the best, if not the best, football leagues in the world,” added Johan Adamsson, Puma’s director of sports marketing. “La Liga has some of the best teams and players in the world and this partnership is another step in our efforts to achieve an even stronger global reach for our brand.”
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