No More Hummel for British Clubs? Hummel's UK Distributor Goes Into Administration
- Elite Sports Group: Hummel's UK distributor, Elite Sports Group, has gone into administration.
- Club Shops Closed: Several British football clubs have had to close their physical and online shops due to issues with Elite Sports Group.
- Future Uncertainty: The situation creates uncertainty for the future of Hummel's partnerships with smaller UK clubs, especially with Christmas sales approaching and potentially leading clubs to seek other kit partners.
Elite Sports Group, Hummel's UK distributor, have gone into administration, leaving many British football clubs unable to restock their stores and question marks over their futures with Hummel.
Hummel's UK Distributor Goes into Administration
Elite Sports Group handle the supply of Hummel gear to clubs in the UK, as well as being the distributor of Meyba and several other sports brands. Several clubs such as Oldham Athletic, Southampton and Coventry City have been forced to close their physical and online shops due to issues with Elite Sports Group this week, and it has emerged today that ESG have gone into administration.
Newport County AFC has today officially been informed that the Club’s external third-party retail/kit partner, Elite Sports Group, has gone into administration.
— Newport County AFC (@NewportCounty) November 24, 2022
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The closure of the club shops is bad news for fans who have placed orders, as many of them will not receive their purchases and it is unclear if the clubs will refund them. The clubs themselves will also lose money as long as their stores remain closed.
#SaintsFC has issued an important update to supporters on its retail operations:
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 21, 2022
Southampton announced on Monday that they have ended their partnership with Elite Sports Group although they did not mention their relationship with Hummel. They referred to a contingency plan in their statement but did not go into detail as to what it involves. Hummel themselves have not yet commented on the matter.
Hummel's biggest club in the UK, Everton, will not be affected by ESG's problems as their distribution deal is with US company Fanatics. For many of Hummel's smaller clubs across the English and Scottish football leagues the disruption comes at the worst possible time as they would have a busy sales period in the run up to Christmas. According to footballkitarchive.com, almost 20 UK clubs have deals with Hummel/ Elite Sports, including Bristol City, Millwall, Kilmarnock and Cambridge United.
It remains to be seen what will happen next in terms of kits for the 23-24 season. The current situation may lead to clubs leaving Hummel for other brands. The Danish company will need to start looking for a solution and also at the possibility of finding other distribution partners in the UK, or else they could lose a lot of clubs.
Do you think the clubs affected will look for other kit partners as a result of all of this? Comment below.
Waldhof Mannheim 26-27 Home Kit Released
German 3. Liga club SV Waldhof Mannheim 07 and technical partner uhlsport have officially unveiled the team's new home kit for the 26-27 season. Joining the previously revealed away and third jerseys, the new home shirt introduces a bold look grounded in the club's traditional blue and black color scheme.
The uhlsport Waldhof Mannheim 26-27 home shirt features a prominent black vertical stripe running down the center, framed by vibrant blue side panels. Black sleeves with blue cuff trimming frame the jersey, while a sharp V-neck collar adds a clean finish. White branding, including the centered uhlsport logo and main sponsor Stölting, contrasts against the dark center panel alongside the club's diamond crest on the left chest.
FC Eindhoven 26-27 Home Kit Released
FC Eindhoven has officially revealed its new home kit for the 26-27 and 27-28 seasons. Made by technical partner Macron, the jersey continues the club's traditional look with classic blue and white vertical stripes across the body.
The design features a traditional white polo collar accented with subtle gold piping along the edges and shoulder seams. A geometric graphic pattern is integrated into the blue stripes to give the classic layout a modern texture, while long-term main sponsor VDL features prominently on the front.
On the upper back under the collar, a stylized blue wave icon is displayed alongside clean gold line accents. The new home kit is available for pre-order now via the official club store.
Rebranded FC Kharkiv Reveal Adidas 26-27 Home Kit
Following their complete rebrand from Metalist 1925, Ukrainian Premier League side FC Kharkiv have officially unveiled their new home kit for the 26-27 season. Made by Adidas as part of a new partnership, the launch introduces a revamped identity built around the club's new claret and gold color scheme.
The FC Kharkiv 26-27 home shirt features a rich claret base accented by bright gold details. Gold Adidas Three Stripes sit atop the shoulders, matching the brand logo on the right chest and the newly designed circular club crest on the left. A subtle, tonal pixel-grid pattern decorates the front body, while gold trim outlines the crew-neck collar and sleeve cuffs. Crypto platform WhiteBIT features as the primary front sponsor in white.
Fortuna Köln 26-27 Away Kit Released
German side SC Fortuna Köln and manufacturer Robey have officially launched the new away kit for the 26-27 season. The design pays direct homage to the classic kits worn by the club during the late 1990s, when Fortuna Köln competed in the 2. Bundesliga.
The Fortuna Köln 26-27 away shirt features a clean white base highlighted by a prominent red chest band bordered with black horizontal lines. Main sponsor HIT is integrated in white across the red band. Additional accents include a black and red trimmed collar, red Robey branding on the right chest, and the traditional club crest on the left.
Liverpool 26-27 Away Pre-Match Kit Leaked
Official images of Liverpool's 26-27 away pre-match kit have been leaked, offering a detailed look at the retro-inspired warm-up shirt made by Adidas. Thanks to @KamilBerberler.
The shirt features an off-white base paired with vibrant red raglan sleeves and a matching red V-neck collar.
Liverpool 26-27 Away Goalkeeper Kit Leaked
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The Adidas Liverpool 2026-27 away goalkeeper kit is a tribute to the famous purple Liverpool keeper shirt from 1994-95.
Inter Milan Announces BBVA as New Sleeve Sponsor
Inter Milan have officially announced a multi-year partnership with Spanish banking giant BBVA, who becomes the club's new Official Sleeve Partner. The BBVA logo will appear on the sleeve of the men's and women's first-team kits starting in the 26-27 season, as well as on the U23, U20, and Inter Legends shirts.
In addition to the sleeve presence for senior teams, BBVA will serve as the main front-of-shirt partner for Inter's youth academy teams from the U18 level down. The new deal replaces the club's previous sleeve agreement with Gate.io. Visually, the BBVA logo is styled in bright yellow on Inter's 26-27 home kit, perfectly matching the yellow accents of the Nike Swoosh, club crest stars, and main sponsor Betsson.sport.