Umbro Distributor Seeking Legal Advice over Ireland Contract Termination
JACC Sports, the distributors of Umbro in Ireland, are seeking legal advice after the Football Association of Ireland terminated their contract with them which had four years left to run.
JACC Sports to Take Legal Action Against FAI
The FAI announced yesterday that they are ending their long-running partnership with JACC Sports, the distributors of Umbro, New Balance and several other brands in Ireland. The announcement was abrupt and unexpected, as they partnership had been in place for 28 years and was due to continue until 2026. The full statement is below.
The Irish Times report that JACC owner, Jonathan Courtenay, responded to an FAI email on Monday morning by telling them that the company reject “any purported effort by the association to terminate the agreement”. The following statement was also made public.
“We find it highly irregular and unwarranted in terms of any working, that the association’s longest standing, most loyal sponsor, and the sponsor which has contributed more financially than any other sponsor to the association would be treated this way. We are taking legal advice and will not be making any further comment at this time.” - JACC Sports.
Ireland manager Stephen Kenny with Jonathan Courtenay, head of JACC Sports.
The FAI was plagued by mismanagement, financial scandals and horrendous decision-making during the 15 year reign of chief executive John Delaney from 2004 to 2019, with Delaney and the FAI currently under investigation for a host of irregular financial activity. The FAI will presumably have carefully checked that they were within their rights to cancel the JACC contract, as they could do without further woes and damage to their reputation.
Former FAI chief exec John Delaney pictured with former Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy.
The reaction of JACC suggests that they believe they were wronged by the FAI, and after a successful 28 year partnership without any problems, from the outside it does look like something of an unfair move by the FAI. It will be very interesting to see what JACC's legal representatives advise them to do. We will update this story as it develops.
Do you think the FAI were wrong to cancel the deal without any explanation? Comment below.
Northampton Town 26-27 Third Kit Released
Northampton Town and Puma have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 2026-27 season, completing the Cobblers' full wardrobe for the campaign. The new strip is set to make its on-pitch debut in the upcoming away fixture against Crewe Alexandra.
The Puma Northampton Town 2026-27 third shirt introduces a modern, dark grey base adorned with an intricate, brushstroke-like graphic pattern across the front in subtle claret and light grey tones. The collar and sleeve cuffs are detailed with clean black trim, while the club crest, Puma logo, and University of Northampton sponsor appear in crisp monochrome white.
Matching dark grey shorts and socks complete the uniform, creating a cohesive, stealthy aesthetic from top to bottom. The new 26-27 third kit is available to purchase now via the club's official online store.
AEK Athens 26-27 Away Kit Released
AEK Athens has officially unveiled its new away kit for the 2026-27 season, produced by Nike. Following the recent launches of the club's striped home and blue third shirts, the Greek side completes its set with a sleek, predominantly black design.
The Nike AEK Athens 2026-27 away jersey features a black base complemented by subtle dark charcoal diagonal pinstripes running down the front and lower back. Vibrant yellow accents highlight the collar, while the Nike Swoosh appears in matching yellow on the right chest. In place of the standard full shield, the left chest boasts a classic yellow double-headed eagle emblem adorned with the club's Greek initials, A.E.K.
Black shorts and black socks complete the full AEK Athens 26-27 away strip. The kit is now available for pre-order via the club's official online store.
Straight Nameset Confirmed for Manchester United 26-27 Third Kit
Following the release of the Manchester United 26-27 third kit, we wondered if the kit had straight or curved names. This has now been settled. The on-pitch appearance confirms that the names are applied in a straight horizontal alignment.
During the launch campaign by Adidas and Manchester United, one promotional photoshoot had Lisandro Martínez with a distinctive arch above the numbers - an error.
Schalke Manager Miron Muslić Wears New 26-27 Away Kit on Touchline
FC Schalke 04 head coach Miron Muslić made a unique style statement on the touchline by wearing the club's new 26-27 away shirt during their pre-season friendly against Atalanta at the VELTINS-Arena.
While his players took to the pitch in their traditional royal blue home jersey, the manager sported the popular retro-inspired white away kit, complete with the classic Adidas Trefoil and vintage club crest. The appearance provided an organic spotlight for the new release, which has enjoyed unprecedented commercial demand after selling 40,000 units in just two and a half hours alongside more than 20,000 additional pre-orders.
Vis Pesaro 1898 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Italian Serie C side Vis Pesaro 1898 has officially launched its new kit collection for the 2026-27 season, produced once again in partnership with Macron. The launch also marks the debut of the club's new primary shirt sponsor, construction company Edilsir.
The Vis Pesaro 26-27 home kit stays true to the club's heritage, featuring the iconic red and white vertical stripes alongside a clean white round collar and matching sleeve trims. The Macron Hero logos and club crest are positioned on the chest, paired with classic styling that represents the identity of the Biancorossi.
Completing the lineup, the away shirt arrives on a clean white base highlighted by an abstract red marble pattern across the torso. The collection also includes an anthracite grey kit defined by an eye-catching white chevron across the midsection, subtle tonal textures across the chest, and refined dark trims.
Ternana Women 26-27 Home Kit Released
Newly promoted Serie A Women side Ternana have officially unveiled their home kit, becoming one of the very few women teams to have their own bespoke designs.
Made by Macron, the jersey put an interesting twist on the traditional green and red stripes, using one large central stripe and four smaller stripes around it, spreading out on the top. All of the stripes are outlined with yellow trims, matching with the logos and accents.
What do you think of the new Ternana Women 26-27 home kit by Macron? Let us know in the comments.
AEK Athens 26-27 Third Kit Released
AEK Athens have just unveiled their new 2026–27 third kit, featuring the iconic Dikéfalos (double-headed eagle) emblem on the left chest.
The kit has a simple design, with blue as the dominant color, while the collar and sleeve cuffs are black.
Nike has placed the Dikéfalos emblem on the left chest, the club’s symbol, instead of the full club crest.