Adidas' Pyramid Of Football Kit Sponsorship - A Teams, B Teams, Standard, Third Party & Not Affiliated
Oct 26, 2020, by Chris
In September 2020, we gave you an overview of the different level of Nike's football team sponsorship deals. It was quite well received by you, our readers. So we decided to also take a look at the Adidas "Pyramid Of Football Kit Sponsorship", revealing that there are some differences to Nike, and those differences are not only the sponsored teams.
Adidas Levels Of Football Sponsorship
Similar to Nike, Adidas has four levels of football team partnerships - A Teams, B Teams, Standard & Third-Party. Interestingly, Adidas' second-tier clubs are internally called 'B Teams', while there is no "official" name for top teams - we call them 'A teams / Premium Teams' here.
Adidas just has five 'Elite Clubs'
As it is the case with Nike and all other brands, there is also a fifth level, of which Adidas is not responsible - clubs that buy their shirts themselves.
the transition between the different levels is quite fluid for Adidas
It is important to note that the transition between the different levels is quite fluid (for all except the first tier) - for our listing, we used information from Adidas' catalogs, the brand's stores, press releases as well as some internal info.
Adidas' Pyramid Of Teams - A Teams, B Teams, Standard & Third-Party
A Teams - 5 Clubs
Adidas A Teams are on the brand's highest level. Adidas just has five 'A Clubs' - Arsenal, Bayern, Juventus, Man Utd, and Real Madrid.
Flamengo is not A Team in 2020 - they did not get a special Humanrace jersey, and they are also called 'B Team' in Adidas' catalog.
Adidas A Teams:
Arsenal, Bayern, Juventus, Man Utd, and Real Madrid
B Teams - Around 10 Clubs - (e.g. Flamengo, Ajax, Bordeaux):
B Teams are on the second level of Adidas' pyramid. B Teams get custom kit designs as well as a range of other bespoke products that are also available in various countries and many of the brand's official stores.
Leicester City could soon be an Adidas B Team
Leicester City is on the verge of becoming an Adidas B Team, Union Berlin as well.
Adidas B Teams (Examples): Ajax,Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Flamengo, Hamburg, Lyon, Orlando Pirates, River Plate
Standard Teams - Dozens Of Clubs - (e.g. Wolves, Cardiff City, Melbourne Victory)
Standard teams have a direct contract with Adidas but are not in the official catalogs of the brand. Their kits are also only sold domestically most times.
Adidas Standard Teams (Examples): Cardiff City, Fulham, Melbourne Victory, Sheffield United, Wolves
Third Party - Many, Many Clubs:
Third Party teams have no direct contract with Adidas but with a third-party, who manage contracts for Adidas in those countries.
Adidas manages most of their deals directly
In contrast to Nike, Adidas used to prefer to sign and manage all their deals directly. Therefore, the Three Stripes do not have many big third-party deals. This just changed recently with their latest German kit deals, which will be not managed by Adidas directly.
Adidas Third Party Teams (Examples): Nürnberg, Düsseldorf, Unterhaching, small lower-division clubs & hundreds of semi-professional / amateur teams
Non-Affiliated Adidas Teams - Thousands of Clubs:
Teams who buy their shirt themselves and choose - possibly more than hundred thousand worldwide.
MLS Teams
Major League Soccer teams are a special category for Adidas. They all get a custom kit, while those teams with more fans get some more gear. The shirts of the most popular MLS teams are sold globally (e.g. LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC).
National Teams
Adidas does also have Premium and Standard national teams - the exact border between them is not easy to define...
Elite National Teams (Examples): Germany, Spain, Argentina
Standard National Teams (Examples): Belgium, Sweden, Russia, Colombia
What do you think of Adidas' line-up of football teams? Should they make more clubs 'Elite Teams', similar to Adidas? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Racing Ferrol 26-27 Home Kit Released
Spanish club Racing Club de Ferrol and Adidas have officially unveiled the team's new home kit for the 26-27 season. Released under the motto #Orixe (Galician for Origin), the design returns to a pure and uncluttered aesthetic that celebrates the club's history and pays tribute to legendary club figure Cholo.
The Racing Ferrol 26-27 home shirt features a deep green base paired with a classic polo collar with a single button closure. White Adidas three-stripes sit across the shoulders, while the chest displays the brand logo alongside the traditional full-color club crest. Main sponsor Estrella Galicia 0,0 takes center stage on the front, while a special golden shell motif featuring the club's founding year 1919 adorns the lower hem.
White shorts with green side stripes and green socks complete the classic ensemble for the upcoming campaign. The overall design emphasizes a clean, no-frills look that highlights green as the defining identity of the Galician side.
SC Farense 26-27 Home Kit Released
Portuguese club SC Farense and kit supplier Lacatoni have officially revealed the club's new home jersey for the 26-27 season. The new uniform presents a fresh interpretation of Farense's traditional black and white palette, featuring a distinctive diagonal split layout.
The SC Farense 26-27 home shirt is defined by a bold diagonal divide across the upper chest. The top left chest and sleeve are rendered in solid black, while the majority of the front panel and right sleeve appear in clean white. Black accents finish the V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs, complemented by the club crest on the left chest and Lacatoni logo on the right.
On the back, the jersey is predominantly white and includes a subtle tonal graphic wave pattern embedded into the fabric. Main sponsor Barão Rodrigues is printed across the front, accompanied by additional sponsor logos on the upper chest, sleeves, and lower back.
Piratas FC 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Mexican Liga de Expansión MX club Piratas FC and kit supplier Keuka have officially presented the club's new home, away, and third kits for the 26-27 season. The official reveal took place at Estadio Luis Pirata Fuente in Veracruz, coinciding with the launch of a new official Keuka retail store.
The 26-27 home jersey comes in black with gold trim on the V-neck collar and cuffs, featuring subtle sublimated graphics of a pirate ship amid stormy ocean waves. The away jersey opts for a white base decorated with sea chart contour lines, a compass rose near the hem, and a bold dark diagonal wave graphic across the chest.
Completing the set, the third jersey arrives in a peach tone with matching maritime map details and vintage vessel graphics. All three designs share consistent trim structure on the sleeve cuffs and collar alongside integrated sponsor logos.
In-House Union Brescia 26-27 Away & GK Kits Released
Italian Serie C side Union Brescia has officially launched its new 26-27 away and goalkeeper kits, made entirely in-house by the club. Following the release of their home uniform earlier in July, the club has continued its self-production strategy, delivering bespoke designs rooted in local heritage for the upcoming campaign.
The Union Brescia 26-27 away jersey is predominantly white, highlighted by a striking royal blue chevron pattern across the chest. Faded into the front panel is a large watermark of the iconic lion of Brescia, while blue trim accents the collar and sleeve bands. On the upper back, the shirt features an Italian tricolor flag detail set above the text Brescia Leonessa d'Italia.
Alongside the away shirt, Union Brescia unveiled three eye-catching goalkeeper options in pink, yellow, and orange. Each goalkeeper jersey incorporates the signature chest chevron and prominent lion graphic, completing the club's kit set for the 26-27 season.
NK Celje 26-27 Home Kit Released
Slovenian PrvaLiga club NK Celje has revealed its new home kit for the 26-27 season, crafted by Nike. The design centers around a two-tone blue aesthetic that the club presents under a "Modern Classic" theme.
The NK Celje 26-27 home shirt features a dark navy main body complemented by bright royal blue raglan sleeves. The yellow club crest sits on the left chest opposite a white Nike Swoosh, with primary sponsors Cinkarna and Grawe printed in yellow across the front. Bright yellow is also used for player names, numbers, and secondary partner logos, while a small Slovenian flag is positioned on the back collar.
The kit is completed with navy shorts and matching socks to complete the home look for the 26-27 campaign.
Kilmarnock 26-27 Third Kit Released
Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock FC and technical partner Hummel have officially launched the new 26-27 third kit. Following the earlier releases of the home and away kits, the new strip completes the team's lineup for the upcoming campaign with a historic reference.
The Hummel Kilmarnock 26-27 third shirt comes in a cobalt blue color scheme complemented by ochre side paneling and white detailing. The body of the jersey features a subtle all-over pattern inspired by the geometric graphics worn on Killie shirts in the early 1990s. Notably, it also marks the first time an official Kilmarnock kit features the iconic retro Kicking Man logo on the chest in place of the standard club crest.
White Hummel chevrons line the shoulders, accompanied by white branding and James Frew Ltd as the primary front sponsor. The new Kilmarnock 26-27 third kit is completed by matching dark blue shorts and socks, and is available now through the club's online shop and physical store.
Manchester City Revealed 26-27 Away Kit in Hongkong
Manchester City unveiled additional images of their new 2026-27 away kit during an event in Hong Kong yesterday. The kit is set to be officially launched in just a few hours, later today, July 31.
Southend United 26-27 120th Anniversary Kit Released
Southend United and technical partner Erreà have officially released a special 120th anniversary kit for the 26-27 season. Celebrating 120 years since the founding of the Shrimpers, the shirt features a refined monochrome design created as a tribute to the club's history.
The jersey is predominantly black with white detailing, including a retro collar accented by contrasting white trim. The defining feature of the design is a subtle front graphic that incorporates the names of 148 players who have made 120 or more appearances for Southend United.
All logos, including the Erreà chest mark, main front sponsor c2c, and the club crest, are presented in clean white. The Southend United 26-27 anniversary kit goes on sale at the club store starting August 1.
Crawley Town 26-27 Home Kit Released
Erreà and English club Crawley Town FC have officially released the team's new home kit for the 26-27 season. Launched under the slogan "Fire Never Fades," the design takes direct inspiration from the club's traditional "Red Devils" identity.
The Erreà Crawley Town 26-27 home shirt features a vibrant red base adorned with a subtle all-over tonal flame pattern. White trim details line the crew collar and sleeve cuffs, providing a clean contrast to the bold base graphic. Inside the collar tape, the club's motto "Noli Cedere" (Never Give Up) is printed, adding a custom internal detail.
Red shorts and red socks featuring white trim and trident graphic details complete the full Erreà Crawley Town 26-27 home strip, which is available to buy directly from the club's online store.