Peeling Logos: Japanese Youth Players Issued Worn-Out Flamengo Kits in Adidas Project
- Youth Exchange Initiative: The JFA and Adidas 'DREAM ROAD' project sent four Japanese youth players to train at CR Flamengo's academy in Brazil, marking a historic collaboration.
- Worn-Out Kits Issued: Japanese youth players received visibly aged and heavily worn Flamengo training shirts, featuring peeling Adidas logos and club crests, instead of new apparel.
- Online Criticism: The condition of the kits sparked significant online backlash and criticism from social media users and Flamengo fans, who deemed it an embarrassment for both the club and Adidas.
A high-profile youth exchange initiative between the Japan Football Association (JFA) and Adidas Japan has drawn unexpected criticism online over the condition of the gear provided to players. Under the JFA and Adidas "DREAM ROAD" project, four promising Japanese youth talents (Shuto Shiro, Sora Oshita, Sota Morioka, and Sora Suzuki) traveled to Brazil for a short-term training camp at CR Flamengo's academy. While the trip marked a historic first collaboration between the Japanese exchange program and a Brazilian club, footage from the sessions quickly sparked backlash among kit watchers and supporters. Huge thanks to our partner, What the Kit, for the great collage.
Worn-Out Adidas Flamengo Training Kits Given to Japanese Players
Instead of receiving new training apparel, the young players were spotted wearing visibly aged and heavily worn Flamengo training shirts. Photos and clips from the training ground showed that both the Adidas three stripes logo and Flamengo's club crest were heavily peeling and detached from the fabric. Social media users and Flamengo fans in Brazil quickly pointed out the battered gear, describing it as an embarrassment for both the club and Adidas to hand down deteriorated hand-me-downs during an officially sponsored international partnership.