Adidas Roma Deal to be Cancelled? New Balance Take Roma to Court
New Balance have taken AS Roma to court over the club's new Adidas kit deal, seeking the cancellation of the Adidas deal and a one year extension of their own contract.
New Balance Take Roma to Court
It is common knowledge by now that Roma and Adidas have a kit deal in place for next season, but news of complications emerged yesterday. New Balance opened legal proceedings with Roma over the Three Stripes deal back in June, according to Calcio e Finanza. The International Chamber of Commerce are handling the case and should New Balance win, the Adidas deal would have to be cancelled, for now at least.
New Balance's two year deal with Roma came into play at the start of the 21-22 season. They claim that a clause in the contract allows them to match any potential bids from competitors, triggering an automatic one year extension to the deal at the value of the new bid. NB say they did exactly that when Adidas made their offer and are requesting that Roma be legally obliged to extend the deal between the two parties and that the Adidas contract be annulled.
The club denied that NB matched the Adidas bid and said the American brand did not exercise their right of first refusal, requesting that the court throw out the case. They also requested compensation from New Balance for some breaches of contract regarding quality, late deliveries and selling AS Roma products in their own stores before official release dates. The court is due to make a decision by February 11th.
Possible Outcomes
If Roma win the case, their Adidas deal will commence as planned this summer. Should New Balance win, however, Roma’s Adidas contract will be cancelled and i Giallorossi will wear NB kits for the 23-24 campaign. In that case, Roma and Adidas would need to sign a new contract, which could come into play for the 24-25 season. Alternatively, Adidas may decide to walk away from the deal altogether after such complications, as they would have wasted time, money and resources on preparing everything in time ahead of next season.
We are no legal experts here at FootyHeadlines, but if previous club vs kit manufacturer court cases are anything to go by, the “old” technical sponsor usually loses out in these legal battles, leaving the club free to proceed with their arrangements as they intended. This case will of course be decided on the evidence and defences provided by both parties, rather than any similar historical instances.
Would you like to see Roma in New Balance for one more year? Or would you prefer to see them return to Adidas later this year as planned? Comment below.
Melbourne City 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Puma and A-League club Melbourne City FC have officially unveiled their complete kit collection for the 26-27 campaign. Launched under the campaign tagline 'Made of City', the three-kit drop blends the club's signature identity with Melbourne street culture and club heritage.
The Melbourne City 26-27 home shirt stays true to tradition, centered around the iconic City Blue base. Drawing inspiration directly from the club badge, red and yellow trim accents decorate the collar and sleeve cuffs. Meanwhile, the away kit leans into nocturnal Melbourne fashion, pairing a deep plum jersey with an abstract zig-zag graphic and vibrant shimmer pink branding across all sponsor prints and the club crest.
Rounding out the lineup is the 26-27 third kit, which pays homage to the club's origins as Melbourne Heart. The shirt combines a crisp off-white base with red accents and incorporates a subtle heartbeat graphic emerging across the chest from behind the crest. A heart motif inside the collar completes the tribute. The new collection is available through Melbourne City's online store and Puma Australia.
AC Mestre 26-27 Third Kit Released
Italian Serie D club AC Mestre has officially unveiled its new third kit for the 26-27 campaign, manufactured once again by Japanese sportswear brand Mizuno. The new drop follows the earlier presentations of the club's home and away shirts, completing their kit lineup for the new season.
The Mizuno AC Mestre 26-27 third shirt introduces a sleek and stealthy design, dominated by a black base accented by vibrant orange details. Bright orange trim lines the V-neck collar and broad sleeve cuffs, while both the Mizuno Runbird logo and the AC Mestre crest are rendered in matching monochrome orange. A subtle jacquard pattern is also incorporated across the front fabric, adding depth to the understated look.
Black shorts and socks with orange detailing complete the full AC Mestre 26-27 third uniform.
Video: FC Barcelona 27-28 Home Kit
Based on leaked images, Footy Headlines can bring you a 360º video of Barcelona’s 2027-28 home kit, created using Kit Creator.
Adidas to Launch Arsenal 26-27 Spezial Collection
Adidas is expanding its terrace-rooted Spezial F.C. label to the Emirates, with a newly surfaced teaser confirming an upcoming Arsenal SPZL F.C. collection. Thanks to @IamCrisJ.
The teaser reveals the collaborative Arsenal SPZL F.C. insignia, presenting the club's heritage cannon emblem and "AFC" cannonballs in red set above a red-bordered box housing the Trefoil and "adidas SPEZIAL F.C." branding in gold. Following the blueprint established by previous SPZL F.C. club projects, the range will lean heavily into retro football culture, archival tailoring, and casual terrace style.
The upcoming Arsenal SPZL F.C. range will include bespoke footwear and lifestyle apparel, slated for release through ArsenalDirect, adidas, and select Spezial retailers.
Adidas Colo-Colo EQT Collection Leaked
Adidas is expanding its 1990s-inspired EQT lifestyle range to South America, with official images of the upcoming Colo-Colo EQT collection leaking online. Following recent retro drops for European giants such as Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Chilean club is set to receive its own heritage capsule steeped in unmistakable nineties football culture. Big thanks to @KamilBerberler.
The centerpiece of the range is a retro shirt dominated by Colo-Colo's traditional white, accented by subtle tonal shadow stripes running vertically down the body. It features oversized three stripes sweeping over the shoulders in bold black and red, paired with a chunky ribbed V-neck collar. Staying true to the era, the classic Adidas wordmark and Trefoil are placed centrally on the chest just above the iconic club crest.
Complementing the jersey, the wider lifestyle capsule includes a color-blocked track jacket, matching track pants, a graphic t-shirt, and a relaxed crewneck sweatshirt. The entire collection maintains the club's sharp black, white, and red palette, combining vintage paneling with modern streetwear silhouettes. The Adidas Colo-Colo EQT collection is slated for release in the coming weeks.
Kit Blunder: Matheus Cunha Wears Inverted Sleeve Badges in Manchester Derby
Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha was spotted sporting an unusual kit detail during Sunday's Manchester derby against Manchester City. Eagle-eyed kit enthusiasts quickly pointed out that the Brazilian forward took to the pitch with his sleeve badges completely reversed on his 26-27 home shirt.
Under standard Premier League kit regulations, the official competition badge and "No Room For Racism" patch must be applied to the player's right sleeve, while the left sleeve is reserved for the club's commercial sleeve partner. On Cunha's long-sleeve jersey, however, the configuration was flipped: the sponsor logo was applied to his right arm, leaving the Premier League badge positioned on his left sleeve.
Side-by-side images comparing Cunha's jersey to teammate Marcus Rashford clearly showed the contrast between the standard layout and Cunha's swapped sleeves. Whether caused by a mix-up in the kit room or an accidental printing error during match preparations, the subtle mistake provided a unique talking point for shirt collectors.
River Plate 26-27 Away Pre-Match Kit Leaked
Official images of the River Plate 26-27 away pre-match kit have surfaced, revealing a clean retro-inspired look produced by Adidas. Following the release of the club's tricolor away strip in August, this warm-up top expands River Plate's heritage-driven collection for the 26-27 season. Big thanks to @KamilBerberler.
The Adidas River Plate 26-27 away pre-match jersey features a crisp white body paired with bold red raglan sleeves and a matching white collar. Emphasizing the classic aesthetic, the shirt showcases the iconic Adidas Trefoil logo in red on the right chest, opposite a vintage circular CARP crest in red on the left. Across the upper back, large red block lettering spells out "RIVER" to complete the minimalist, old-school design. The shirt is paired with white shorts sporting black Three Stripes on the sides.
The new River Plate 26-27 away pre-match jersey is scheduled to be worn by the squad during warm-ups for away fixtures and will be available to purchase in the coming weeks.