Adidas has banned German soccer fans from customizing their uniforms with the number 44 over concerns that it resembles a symbol used by the Nazi SS during World War II.
The Schutzstaffel Group of the Nazi Party, commonly known as the SS, was a paramilitary arm of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich and operated concentration camps during the Holocaust.
And the German Football Federation has now suspended delivery of numbered shirts ordered through online platforms and is working with its partner 11 Team Sport to find an alternative design for the number 4 shirt.
The federation said the design was submitted to the UEFA Champions League during the kit design process.
“None of those involved saw any similarities with Nazi symbolism in the development process of the shirt design,” the German Football Association (DFB) said on X (formerly Twitter).
Adidas has banned soccer fans from customizing the German national team's jersey number 44 because it resembles a symbol used by the Nazi SS during World War II. pic.twitter.com/PKpKjQAWAU
— Tom Bart (@TomaszBart3) April 1, 2024
Concerns that the shirt design meant the number 44 resembled the SS were first raised by historian Michael König, who said the kit design was “highly questionable”.
“Historically speaking, it is highly questionable to allow such uniforms to be used at home European Championships,” he said.
Adidas spokesperson Oliver Brüggen said the similarities were unintentional and that the federation and the 11 team sports were jointly responsible for the design of the names and numbers on the shirts.
Brüggen said: “People from around 100 countries work at Adidas. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, and as a company we actively stand against xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and all forms of hatred. “We are campaigning against it,” he said.
“Any attempt to promote discord or exclusive views is not part of our values as a brand,” he added.
The newly released kit has already sparked debate in Germany over the choice of a pink away shirt, which purports to celebrate the country's diversity.
The stylized diagonal SS symbol is still prohibited in Germany. It was designed in his 1929 year and became a symbol of the worst atrocities committed by the Nazis. SS members were tasked with supervising concentration camps, interrogating suspected traitors, and running extermination camps like Auschwitz, where more than a million people were murdered.
This comes as Germany is scheduled to host the European Championships from June 14th to July 14th.
