Closed Stores, "Crashing Stocks", Postponed Launches - How The Coronavirus Pandemic Affects Adidas, Puma & Nike
Mar 19, 2020, by Chris
On Tuesday, UEFA announced that the UEFA EURO is postponed to 2021 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. With the decision, the hope of both clubs and fans arose that the domestic and international club competitions could be completed until June 30, even though without spectators most likely. The Coronavirus Pandemic nevertheless already had big impact on the business of all involved in soccer, especially the brands and clubs.
Coronavirus Pandemic - Impacts On Brands And Clubs
Postponed EURO & Copa America
With the EURO and Copa America postponed to 2021, it is safe to assume that brands will generate less sales with the kits. However, those sales could be recuperated next year. The Olympics are also anything but certain to take place this year, another big uncertainty for all involved. from players over brands to fans.
Closed Stores
In many countries worldwide, all stores not critical for infrastructure and daily needs had to be closed. Adidas, Nike and Puma all announced that they will close stores for at least around two weeks.
With love, Your Nike Family pic.twitter.com/IRqkOyXgX6
— nikelondon (@nikelondon) March 15, 2020
Shopping online is still possible, and with delivery from warehouses not affected yet players can still get their gear...
Falling Stocks of Brands And Soccer Clubs
The Coronavirus Pandemic has heavily hit stock markets. The share prices of almost all companies collapsed, with those of sporting goods companies like Adidas, Nike and Puma losing almost 50 %, meaning that the companies have almost lost half of their previous market value.
The stocks of soccer clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Juventus both nearly halved in the past month.
Switch Of Kit Supplier During Season?
With the 2019-2020 season almost certainly has to be extended beyond the regular dates, we could see some kit supplier switches that happen during the season. In example and most famously, Liverpool's contract with New Balance runs only until May 31. If the Premier League season runs until mid-June, Liverpool would likely switch to Nike jerseys during the season.
I imagine it will change, the contracts will have dates, not down to season. For example, in South America the new kits drop half way through the season. Boca is a prime case. Also, Man Utd wore Nike gear in preseason before changing to adidas.
— Marcus Dilley (@MDill38) March 14, 2020
Other club's contract, including those with players and brands, usually run until June 30. So if the season would end before that date, there won't be many problems.
Delivery Problems
Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, there already have been some delivery difficulties for teams. In example, Düsseldorf has some delivery issues with an upcoming special-edition jersey, while USL club Oklahoma City Energy FC released their third kit instead of their home and away.
Nothing about the big 2020-2021 releases and the production of the kits has been announced by any brand officially yet. Adidas, Puma and Nike usually start the production of next season's (2020-21) around March. Most kits are produced in far East, including countries like China that have been heavily affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Postponed Releases
As of now, we think it is already certain that many of the scheduled 2020 international kit releases will be postponed, at least until an end or at least an improvement of the Coronavirus Pandemic is in sight.
Do you think that football matches will be played without spectators in the near future? Do you think that the football business will fully recover from the Coronavirus Pandemic? Will some clubs go bankrupt? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Grimsby Town 26-27 Third Kit Released
Grimsby Town and technical partner Lotto have officially revealed the club's new 26-27 third kit. Following the previous releases of their home and away strips, the new design draws inspiration from the earliest days of the Mariners playing at Blundell Park, combining a rich brown base with light blue and white accents.
The Grimsby Town 26-27 third jersey is predominantly brown, featuring a broad white chest band bordered by a thin sky blue line. The kit showcases an all-over sublimated diamond pattern across the body, with matching white and sky blue trim along the collar and sleeve cuffs. A monochrome white club crest sits on the chest, while a fisherman illustration is printed on the upper back as a sign-off detail.
Matching brown shorts and socks complete the full uniform for the Mariners. The new Lotto Grimsby Town 26-27 third strip will be available to purchase in-store from Friday, August 7, with online sales opening on Monday, August 10.
US Thionville Lusitanos 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
French club US Thionville Lusitanos has officially unveiled its new home and away kits for the 26-27 season, made in collaboration with Kappa. The new collection draws direct inspiration from the history, architecture, and soul of the city of Thionville. The reveal shoot took place at the historic Tour aux Puces, emphasizing the deep connection between the club and its local heritage.
The 26-27 home kit features a sky blue base with white trim along the collar and sleeve cuffs, complemented by custom graphic artwork along the lower hem depicting local landmarks and symbols. The away shirt shares the same design blueprint, opting for a clean light grey base paired with white accents and tonal architectural patterns near the bottom. Both shirts feature crewneck collars and host a range of local club sponsors.
The new Kappa US Thionville Lusitanos 26-27 home and away jerseys will be available to purchase starting August 14, 2026.
Oliver Baumann Slams FIFA Over World Cup Jersey Badge
Germany goalkeeper Oliver Baumann has publicly spoken out against FIFA's commercialization, pointing to a controversial practice involving temporary kit badges at the 2026 World Cup. In a recent interview with BILD, the goalkeeper criticized what German media have dubbed "Trikot Gate," shedding light on how players' match jerseys were handled for profit behind the scenes.
According to Baumann, FIFA applied special commemorative patches to player shirts before matches, labeling players with titles like "Legacy" or "Debutant." However, immediately after matches, staff entered the dressing room to peel those badges off the jerseys. Frustrated by the process, Baumann stated that players just wanted to keep their authentic kits intact rather than having them stripped.
Baumann did not play a match in the 2026 World Cup. Those badges are removed from the kits to be later part of trading cards, as part of a deal with Topps. However, it remains to be seen if badges of players who finally did not make a debut will be made into cards, or if it was just removed because of the streamlined process.
The goalkeeper appealed to governing bodies to prioritize the sport itself over endless commercial initiatives. Baumann warned that excessive commercialization, from stripped kit patches to unnecessary breaks, threatens to alienate fans and players who care about the tradition and passion of football.
Mohamed Salah Takes Number 10 Shirt at Trabzonspor
Mohamed Salah has officially completed his move to Turkish side Trabzonspor after leaving Liverpool. Following his arrival, the Egyptian superstar has been assigned the club's number 10 shirt for the 26-27 season. The Turkish club had initially prepared the number 11 jersey, the same squad number Salah wore during his iconic stint at Anfield, but the winger requested number 10 instead to match his shirt number with the Egypt national team.
To accommodate the request, Trabzonspor player Ernest Muçi, who previously held the number 10 jersey, agreed to give up the squad number out of respect for his new teammate. During his arrival flight to Turkey, Salah was seen wearing a presentation kit featuring number 61. The number 61 holds special cultural significance in Trabzon, representing the province's vehicle code and a tradition celebrated by supporters in the 61st minute of matches.
Salah has signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor, and his official number 10 kit is now available as the club prepares for the upcoming season.