Fascist symbols were seen on Germany national team T-shirts with a certain number

The company stops selling uniforms with fours: it resembles the abbreviation SS

Adidas has suspended sales of new German national football team jerseys because the number 44 resembles the logo of the Nazi Party’s SS paramilitary unit.

Adidas has stopped offering customization of name and number shirts, and the German Football Federation (DFB) has suspended supplies of number 44 shirts from its own online store.

The federation said it was seeking an alternative design for number 4 with its partner.

“None of the parties involved perceived any affinity with Nazi symbols during the development of the jersey design,” the federation said. “However, we take comments very seriously and do not want to provide a forum for discussion.” We will develop an alternative design for number 4 and approve it with UEFA.”

Historian Michael König expressed concern about the design of the German football kit, which he felt was “dubious”. The decision to withdraw the number 44 shirts came after it was pointed out that the two fours together resembled a stylized emblem used by the SS.

Commonly known as the SS, the Nazi formation included police units, combat units and others who ran concentration camps where massacres of civilians were committed during World War II. Stylized SS runic symbolism is today banned in Germany.

Adidas spokesman Oliver Bruggen told news agency DPA that the federation and the 11teamsports store were responsible for the design of the names and numbers on the jerseys. He also emphasized that “as a company, we actively oppose xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in any form.”

The new kit, released ahead of Germany’s European Championships in June and July, made its debut during their 2-0 friendly win over France.

Recall that in March 2024, the German Football Federation announced that Nike would become their official supplier from 2027, ending a long-term partnership with Adidas.

“The upcoming partnership will allow the DFB to work on key objectives for the development of football in Germany over the next decade,” said DFB President Bernd Neuendorf.

Adidas has been producing German knitwear since the 1950s. Germany used Adidas products at all four World Cups from 1954 to 2014. In 2019, the company signed a four-year extended contract that ended in 2022.