For the next ten years, football fans wishing to buy the jersey of a player from the French team will always buy Nike. The French Football Federation (FFF) and the American equipment manufacturer announced on Tuesday April 30 the renewal until 2034 of their partnership begun in 2011.
The amount of this new agreement has not been communicated. However, according to L'Equipe, it would be higher than the one concluded 13 years ago, which brings between 40 and 50 million euros into the FFF's coffers each year.
For the comma brand, it is a new success in the world of football. In addition to the Blues, double world champions, Nike is also the equipment supplier for some of the most attractive national teams, notably Brazil, England and Portugal.
Above all, the Oregon company inflicted a serious blow on its German competitor Adidas by stealing, at the end of March, the contract with the German Federation (DFB) for the period 2027-2034. This announcement made an impression across the Rhine, where the brand with the three stripes has been on its land and linked to the Nationalmannschaft since 1954.
At least 100 million euros per year
According to German daily Handelsblatt, Nike has committed to paying at least €100 million per year to the DFB for the duration of the contract, double what Adidas currently pays. At Agence France-Presse, Bjorn Gulden, the boss of Adidas, described the sum promised by Nike to the German federation as “inexplicable”.
After this setback, Adidas hoped to respond by returning to the fold of the French football team, where the presence of Kylian Mbappé, in particular, constitutes powerful publicity. But the “appropriate price” promised by the head of the German brand was insufficient. The latter had warned that he would not go beyond a certain limit in the call for tenders launched by the FFF. Ultimately, the American brand has, once again, put more money on the table than Adidas.
“I made a commitment to ensure the sustainability of the FFF, in all its dimensions: societal, diversity, development of high-level practice, women's football and amateur football. This partnership with Nike, with whom we share a common vision and objectives, allows us to give ourselves the means to actively contribute, at least for the next decade,” indicated Philippe Diallo, president of FFF, at the end of the executive committee of the federation which validated this new contract.
A victory for Philippe Diallo
“The renewal of our partnership and the agreement reached position the FFF among the very first sports organizations in the world,” also welcomed Mr. Diallo, who is counting on this commercial victory to lend credibility to his continued leadership of the federation, where its first lease ends at the end of 2024.
In addition to the equipment of all French selections, the new partnership established between the FFF and Nike will also include “a specific component dedicated to amateur football and referees”, specified the federation.
Late Tuesday, the American brand also issued a triumphant press release: “In 15 years of partnership between Nike and the FFF, we are proud of what we have accomplished together. We look forward to continuing our partnership to serve as a catalyst for growth and investment in amateur football in France, accelerating the growth of women's football at all levels, and further amplifying the FFF as an international icon performance and style. »
