The uniform of the German football team banned due to similarity with Nazi symbols | World

Adidas has banned football fans from purchasing personalized German jerseys bearing the number 44 after media reports pointed out similarities to the symbol used by WWII-era Nazi SS units.

“We will block customization of shirts,” an Adidas spokesperson said.

SS units were largely responsible for the crimes against humanity committed by the Nazis.

The recently launched playing kit also caused controversy with the choice of pink as the color of the team’s second kit.

The issue of Nazi symbolism was first raised by historian Michael König, who said the uniforms’ design was “very questionable”.

The rune used to symbolize the SS was designed in 1929 for use by Nazi units.

Members of the SS performed functions such as agents of the Gestapo, the German secret police, and concentration camp guards.

SS duties included managing the camps where millions of people were sentenced to death.

Adidas spokesman Oliver Brüggen denied that the uniform’s similarity to Nazi symbols was intentional.

“We, as a company, are committed to opposing xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in all forms,” ​​he reinforced.

Adidas told the BBC that the German Football Association (DFB) and its partners designed the numbers on the shirts.

In a post on X, the former Twitter, the DFB said that the shirt designs were submitted to UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) for review during the design process and that “none of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism “.

They added that an alternative design for number 4 would be developed.

The same game uniform was involved in another controversy due to the choice of bright pink as the color for the second kit.

Supporters say the color represents the country’s diversity. But critics claim that this is not Germany’s traditional color and was introduced solely to raise money for the DFB.

Adidas has been making German shirts since 1950.

The DFB recently announced that its partnership with German company Adidas is coming to an end. From 2027, Germany will have the American Nike as a supplier of sporting goods.

The decision was criticized and classified as a “lack of patriotism” by the country’s Economy Minister, Robert Habeck.

Germany will host the European Championship scheduled for this year, which will be held in 10 different cities.