Adidas to break with Milan

By Football Italia staff

It’s reported Adidas will end their sponsorship of Milan in the summer, after 20 years.

The German sportswear brand has manufactured the Rossoneri kits every year since 1998, having previously done so between 1978 and 1980, and from 1990 to 1993.

The current deal, which is worth €19.7m per season was due to run until 2023, but this morning’s Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that Adidas have decided to break off the partnership in June.

While a 10-year contract was signed in 2013, the previous Diavolo ownership agreed to break clauses in the deal.

Adidas activated their right to break things off during the sale of the club to Chinese investors, but a deal was found to continue until summer 2018.

It’s expected the kit manufacturer will officially terminate their deal in December or January, but the decision has already been taken.

This is the second sponsor to leave Milan in recent month, with Audi pulling out of all football sponsorship in March.

The Rossoneri will now have to go forward with a new kit manufacturer, but Gazzetta believes this is unlikely to be Nike due to their relationship with Inter.

It’s therefore possible that growing brands such as New Balance or Under Armour will take over the contract.

However, it’s not clear what the figures on offer will be, or whether anyone will match the €19.7m paid by Adidas.

The German brand currently pays Juventus €23m per season to manufacture their kits.

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