An Adidas spokesperson has addressed the recent comments
Germany fans have been banned from buying the new international shirt with the number 44 after media pointed out it’s resemblance to a symbol used by World War Two-era Nazi SS units.
The SS units were responsible for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity.
A paramilitary organization that assisted Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, the SS helped carry out the deliberate murder of Jewish people during the Holocaust. The public display and dissemination of the SS symbol is banned in Germany and can be met with criminal prosecution.
Their new kits also caused further controversy due to the choice of pink for the away colours. Historian Michael König was the first to raise the problem, labelling the designs as “very questionable”.
Adidas spokesman Oliver Brüggen denied that the kit’s resemblance to the Nazi symbols was intentional and confirmed that fans would be blocked from buying the number 44.
“We as a company are committed to opposing xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in every form,” he said.
They also confirmed that an alternative number four would be designed for the shirt.
As for the away kit there have been complaints from fans who claim the pink away shirt is not traditional and has purely been used to raise money for the DFB (German Football Association).
Others however have praised the choice of the kit as they believe it celebrates diversity throughout Germany.
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