Nike vs New Balance - Who Will Win The Liverpool Kit Court Battle This Month? ALL Details + Our Prediction
Oct 5, 2019, by Chris
Already last week, it emerged that Liverpool's new Nike deal that will being in 2020 is worth only 30 million GBP, which is 15 million GBP less than New Balance is currently paying. This is first because LFC getting 20 per cent royalty on net sales of LFC products, and second because Nike can offer the club more in general than New Balance. Today we want to take a closer look at how Nike wn to promote Liverpool.
In the High Court papers of the New Balance against Nike battle, there are several points that underline how Nike wants to promote Liverpool.
Non-Money Reasons For Liverpool To Switch To Nike
The reason why Liverpool FC wants to join Nike is mainly not because New Balance would be not able to offer the same amount of money but because of the advantages that Nike can offer as much bigger brand.
All this is very important because the battle to manufacture Liverpool’s kit from 2020-21 is to be settled by a High Court judge next month.
It alleges Liverpool are in breach of a matching clause agreement allowing it to extend its contract to manufacture the kit.
Nike Plans To Market Liverpool With Non-football Global Superstar Athletes And Influencers
Nike would plan to market Liverpool through initiatives which feature not less than three “non-football global superstar athletes and influencers of the calibre of” Williams, Drake and LeBron James. LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers is a minor shareholder of Liverpool FC.
Nike Has A Larger Distribution Network
During the negotiations with New Balance and Nike, Liverpool commissioned an independent review by Deloitte which concluded Nike could “super charge distribution in a way challenger brands [like New Balance] are not able to do.” Nike will distribute the new kit through “6,000 global doors” with New Balance having not exceeded “3,000 global doors.”
Nike Is The Much Bigger & Renowned Brand
Another important difference if Liverpool would switch to Nike that the Swoosh has the much better brand value and equity than New Balance. Nike is the most popular sports brand in most countries (only Adidas is on the same level), while New Balance is below the big two and also Puma - New Balance is just one of the many sportswear brands that are ranked below the Top 2 & Puma in football.
Who Will Win The Battle?
There is ONE BIG advantage for New Balance New Balance have a matching clause agreement that allows to extend its contract to manufacture the Liverpool kit. So, in example, if the court would set an amount of money of the non-financial terms Nike is offering, we think that New Balance could offer the determined sum to keep Liverpool’s kit maker.
We think that in the end, we think that it is most likely that New Balance will be compensated by Nike / the club and that Nike will make Liverpool's kits from 2020. Something like this has been also already the case in the past. In example, Chelsea and Adidas agreed to end sponsorship deal six years early ahead of move to Nike in 2016 (Chelsea paid around £40 million to exit their Adidas deal ).
Who do you think will win the court battle? Who do you think will make Liverpool's kits from 2020? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Holstein Kiel 26-27 Special Kit Released - 80th Anniversary of the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein
Holstein Kiel and Puma have officially released a new special kit for the 26-27 season, honoring the 80th anniversary of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. The bespoke shirt pays homage to the state's colors and maritime identity positioned between the North and Baltic Seas.
The Puma Holstein Kiel 26-27 special shirt features a dynamic diagonal design incorporating the state's blue, white, and red colors. A central white diagonal band is flanked by blue on the right shoulder and chest and red on the lower left flank, seamlessly blended through a pixelated sea spray gradient. Blue sleeves, red Puma logos, and a dual-colored V-neck collar complete the look, while the upper back is adorned with the official Schleswig-Holstein coat of arms placed above bold red Holstein Kiel text.
Produced with Puma's RE:FIBRE recycled fabric technology, the jersey features long-standing partner famila across the chest. The Holstein Kiel 26-27 special kit is available immediately through the club's official online store, retailing at €85.
SD Logroñés 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Spanish Segunda Federación side SD Logroñés has officially unveiled its new kit collection for the 26-27 season, made by Japanese brand Mizuno. After wearing provisional shirts during the early stages of pre-season, the club has presented the definitive designs deeply rooted in local heritage and pride under the motto of celebrating their city and history.
The SD Logroñés 26-27 home jersey features the club's traditional red and white vertical stripes, outlined with black borders and highlighted by an illustration of Logroño's architectural skyline and iconic stone bridge across the chest. The away kit introduces a dark navy blue base enriched with vertical bands containing tonal grapevine patterns, paying homage to the winemaking tradition of La Rioja, complemented by red and white trim on the collar and cuffs.
Completing the collection, Mizuno and SD Logroñés have also revealed matching alternate designs in sky blue and vibrant yellow, both featuring the distinctive city skyline motif, alongside a fresh duo of goalkeeper jerseys prepared for the new campaign.
Newcastle United Announce SumUp Training Kit Sponsor Deal
Newcastle United has officially announced a new multi-year partnership with fintech firm SumUp, designating the British company as the club's Official Training Kit Partner. The deal sees SumUp become one of the Magpies' Primary Partners as well as the Presenting Partner of the Newcastle United Business Club.
As part of the agreement, the SumUp logo is featured across the front of Newcastle's Adidas training and pre-match warm-up apparel. The branding will be worn across all squads, including the men's first team, the women's team, and the academy setups. Reports estimate the value of the sponsorship at around £5 million per season.
Beyond the kit exposure, the collaboration will introduce a co-branded SumUp card designed to offer supporters exclusive rewards at official club stores and participating local businesses throughout the North East.
Red Star FC 26-27 Home Kit Released
French Ligue 2 side Red Star FC and Kappa have officially unveiled their new home kit for the 2026-27 season. Following the earlier launch of the street-art-inspired away shirt, the new home strip continues the club's tradition of bold, culturally rooted lifestyle-forward designs.
The Kappa Red Star FC 2026-27 home jersey combines the club's traditional green and white colors in a vertical block layout, highlighted by a wide green central band and green sleeve sections. Just like the away shirt created in collaboration with artist Lorem, the green panels are covered with an intricate doodle graphic pattern referencing elements from the club's storied history and Saint-Ouen culture. The shirt is rounded off with a classic green polo-style collar with a subtle V-neck cutout and the sponsor TRUST IT placed across the chest.
Green shorts and white socks complete the full look of the new Red Star FC 26-27 home strip by Kappa.
Manfredonia Calcio 1932 26-27 Home Kit Released
Italian Serie D side Manfredonia Calcio 1932 has unveiled its new home kit for the 26-27 season, produced by Italian kit supplier Givova.
The Givova Manfredonia Calcio 1932 26-27 home shirt features the club's traditional vertical stripes in sky blue and white. The light blue stripes include subtle tonal gradients for added depth, complemented by a simple round collar, white sleeves with repeated Givova logos across the shoulders, and the Vitulano Drugstore sponsor across the front.
White shorts and socks are set to complete the new Givova Manfredonia Calcio 1932 2026-27 home kit.
Club Africain 26-27 Home Kit Released
Tunisian powerhouse Club Africain has officially unveiled its new home kit for the 2026-27 season. The launch marks the beginning of the club's new technical partnership with Spanish sportswear brand Kelme.
The Kelme Club Africain 26-27 home jersey stays true to the club's historic identity, featuring the iconic red and white horizontal hoops. For the new campaign, the hoops incorporate a modern distressed, brush-stroke effect across the front and back. The shirt is complemented by a white V-collar with subtle red trim and matching sleeve cuffs, while the Kelme paw logo and Ooredoo sponsor sit seamlessly within the design.
White shorts and socks complete the new Club Africain 2026-27 home strip. The jersey retails for 159 TND and is available through the club's official Boutique Lefri9i stores.
Lovely: RC Strasbourg 26-27 Third Kit Features Bespoke Patterned Sponsors
RC Strasbourg and adidas have added an exceptional custom touch to the French side's 26-27 third shirt. Released as part of the club's 120th anniversary celebrations with a retro black-and-deep-blue striped look inspired by the 1946-47 season, the jersey features a subtle repeating pattern of Strasbourg's vintage diamond RCS crest embedded directly within the black infill of both the main Winamax chest sponsor and the secondary és logo.
Hummel US Granville 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released - No More Puma
French club US Granville has officially revealed its new home and away kits for the 2026-27 campaign, marking the start of a new partnership with Hummel. The Danish brand takes over from Puma as the official technical supplier for the side.
The Hummel US Granville 26-27 home shirt is predominantly white, featuring an eye-catching graphic pattern of wavy blue vertical pinstripes running across the front body. Royal blue accents appear on the crew neck collar, side panels, and sleeve cuffs, complemented by Hummel's trademark chevrons on the shoulders and a centrally placed club crest.
Sharing the same visual template, the US Granville 2026-27 away jersey reverses the color scheme with a royal blue base and light blue wave line graphics. The away shirt is completed with clean white Hummel chevrons and monochrome sponsor detailing across the chest.
