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.
FC Barcelona 27-28 Home Kit Leaked - 2 Real Images
Footy Headlines can leak two real images of the new Barcelona 27-28 home kit. However, these still appear to be products created based on a previous concept. They have an accuracy of about 80% and will differ slightly from the final version.
Deportivo Cali 1965 First Title Commemorative Kits Released
Colombian club Deportivo Cali and their technical sponsor Hillside have launched a special-edition capsule celebrating the club's historic first league championship won in 1965. The release consists of two retro-inspired jerseys — one in green and another in white — that pay tribute to the monumental title won over six decades ago.
Both shirts embrace a classic mid-60s aesthetic, anchored by an open polo-style collar. The green shirt features a contrasting white collar and cuffs, complemented by a tonal sublimated pattern of stripes, pennants, and historic club insignia across the fabric. In turn, the white version offers a clean, elegant look highlighted by rich emerald green trim. On the collar ribbing, knit detailing spells out "19 CAMPEÓN 65" in tribute to the landmark campaign.
Each jersey is adorned with a vintage Deportivo Cali crest topped by a single embroidered golden star representing that maiden triumph. Additional commemorative touches include a retro script Hillside graphic at the lower back and a stitched authentic crest patch near the hem displaying "Cali - Un Amor para toda la Vida 1912". The limited-edition pieces are delivered in custom collector's packaging alongside a certificate of authenticity.
BG Pathum United 26-27 20th Anniversary Kit Released
Thai League side BG Pathum United have officially released a special 20th anniversary kit for the 26-27 season. Produced by Nike and launched under the club's "Side by Side" campaign, the commemorative shirt celebrates two decades since the team was originally founded in 2006 as Bangkok Glass FC, reviving the historic green color from the club's early years.
The Nike BGPU 26-27 20th anniversary shirt combines a vibrant green base with contrasting black accents on the crew neck collar and sleeve cuffs, flanked by white side panels. It features clean monochrome white applications throughout, including the club crest, the Nike Swoosh, and the front sponsor. Two variations of the jersey are available: the domestic Thai League version featuring Leo branding on the chest, and an AFC Champions League Two version with Singha Corporation and a Thai flag detail on the sleeve.
White shorts and white socks complete the throwback look. The BG Pathum United 26-27 20th anniversary kit is now on sale through the club's official online shop and at the BGPU Mega Store, priced at 999 THB for the standalone jersey. The club has also made a limited "Side by Side" collector's boxset available for 2,000 THB, containing two shirts, two commemorative scarves, and a sticker sheet.
