UPDATE: Cruzeiro to Try to Renegotiate Adidas Deal
Update: There's a new twist to the Adidas x Cruzeiro story, again via Globo Esporte. Board president Saulo Fróes has adapted a more cautionary approach since his last statements and now claims that Cruzeiro only "gave notice to protect us."
Cruzeiro to Hold Meeting with Adidas Before Deciding
Despite Cruzeiro's notification to Adidas of their desire to terminate the contract, the club is cautious about ending the partnership with the sporting goods supplier, which was once taken for granted.
In an interview with GloboEsporte.com, Saulo Fróes, president of the managing board, adopted a more serene tone when talking about the partnership. According to him, the contract signed at the Wagner Pires de Sá management aims only at the German company side. However, Saulo states that the initial intention of the club is not to end the bond. It is worth remembering that the sale of the uniforms began on the last Thursday, with queues in the store and exhaustion of the product.
About the notification made by the club on December 30, Saulo said that the document aims to protect Cruzeiro. On Jan. 9, representatives of Adidas will meet with officials to try a contractual adjustment. If the changes do not happen, then Cruzeiro can terminate the bond, in a process that takes about 90 days since the club made the notification to the company.
Update: More information about the quite insane Cruzeiro Adidas kit story have been revealed via Globo Esporte. Cruzeiro announced that it had made an official notification to the German sports equipment supplier about the possibility of contract termination within 90 days. The deal just become official some days ago.
Cruzeiro Wants Better Deal Or They Will Cancel Contract Signed By Previous President
Despite demonstrating a desire to break the current contract, the Brazilian club left the doors open for a new agreement with Adidas, with the inclusion of "new economic terms or definitive termination, which is provided for in the contract itself.
The partnership with the German company was signed by President Wagner Pires de Sá, who resigned this month after strong pressure from the opposition and also the fans. The uniform for 2020 was officially launched by the club and supplier last Thursday. In practice, at the moment, the contract is not broken, but the club has already expressed the desire to close it with the current form.
However, hours after the announcement made on the social networks, Vittorio Medioli, CEO of Cruzeiro's managing board, said in an interview with GloboEsporte.com, that he had the idea of terminating the agreement signed with the German company. Medioli criticized the contract and said that the club's idea is to create its own brand.
- We should terminate the agreement with Adidas, because it is not done (an agreement under these conditions). We are almost determined to set up our own brand. First of all the contract with Adidas is not to win anything. It's a contract that, in the year, at most will give the Cruzeiro R$ 2.5 million, which was anticipated.
The then soccer manager of Cruzeiro, Zezé Perrella, had already criticized the agreement with Adidas. According to him, only a sales volume outside the standard would bring resources to the club.
- The Adidas millionaire contract that the press staff is just the shirts. Cruzeiro only has royalties if it sells 180,000 shirts. Our record is 120. That's the millionaire contract. With fewer pieces from the previous sponsor (Umbro), which was not even heard. Adidas is a great brand, it's welcome, but it has no millionaire contract. The royalty they gave us now is to be compensated in the future, if we did. If it hasn't, you owe it to them yet. A total bitch.
In Brazilian club Cruzeiro will discuss termination of contract with Adidas and talk about making their own jerseys, according to reports from Brazil.
Cruzeiro signed a three-year deal with Adidas just some months ago, while the first-ever modern Cruzeiro Adidas kits were released just yesterday.
Cruzeiro To Terminate Adidas Deal & Produce Kits With Own Brand
According to the newspaper O TEMPO, Cruzeiro is calling a meeting with Adidas to discuss the termination of contract. The information was shared by journalist Minas Gerais, which followed the meeting of the Transitory Leader Nucleus at the end of Thursday night, at the headquarters of the celestial club.
"Making a contract where Adidas makes money and Cruzeiro holds the broccoli doesn't work," said current Vice President and CEO of Raposa, Vittorio Medioli, according to the daily newspaper.
"For the image of Cruzeiro to shine. These are the new 2020-21 uniforms of the celestial Fox," the brand posted, referring to a verse of the national anthem.
"I will call them to make a consensual or non-consensual termination," said the vice-president.
The new Adidas Cruzeiro 2020 jersey will be available at the club's official stores beginning January 2, the club's 99th anniversary.
The report also says that Cruzeiro plans even to manufacture its own kits. "Today it has to leave for its own brand. What counts is not the Adidas brand, what counts is the Cruzeiro brand for our fans. If you have Adidas, Umbro, Nike or zero on the left, it's still for them," he said.
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