How can any Federation say no to a deal like this? There’s always a price at which loyalty and tradition are thrown into the wind. €42.6m a year is really hard to say no to, especially if the offer is coming from a company that is a top brand with great product and a commitment to the sport

i think the German national team was actually offered a better deal that that from Nike but they turned it down as they wanted to maintain the relationship with Adidas which is a German company

And as far as the deal as a whole is concerned, obviously it’s an advantageous operation for both parties involved: FFF get a sh**load of money out of it, Nike gets a huge image boost in the hexagon.

Don’t you think adidas had a “right to match” clause in its existing deal? No doubt about it, but they couldn’t justify the expenditure. This is typical Nike buying into a sport with the goal of entrenching its brand into the psyche of the French consumer to grow its overall business in that country. This isn’t just about FFF jerseys, cleats and balls, it’s about brand building - starting with jerseys and cleats and hoping that the consumers in France end up also believing in and buying Nike basketball shoes, workout apparel, tennis gear, etc.

You can say what you want about Ligue 1 soccer and the level of play in France, even boring 0-0 draws are quite expensive in the end.

Ouch. So true though.

Susan Kishner