Corinthians to Sign Adidas Kit Deal After Nike "Leaves" South American Market?
Local powerhouse Corinthians is contemplating to leave Nike and sign with Adidas following news that the US brand essentially "pulled out" of the Brazilian market.
Nike last week announced that it's operations in several South American countries would be managed by sub-licensees. In Brazil, local sports store Centauro will manage to the Nike brand, for example. AXO Group will do the same for Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
An article that appeared on national news UOL this week (via Mantos do Futbol) suggests that the Corinthians board is disappointed by this change and some of the changed conditions in particular.
A main point is that Corinthians' official stores are managed by Netshoes, Centauro's main competitor, which could lead to conflicts of interest in the future.
Having recently signed deals with former Nike clubs Boca Juniors (Argentina) and SC Internacional (Brazil), it's reported that the Corinthians decision makers want to meet up with Adidas to discuss a possible change of supplier.
The main obstacle for Corinthians to sign with Adidas is of course the long-term deal with Nike, which is currently set to run for a further nine years, until 2029. We could only see Nike and Centauro let go of Corinthians in exchange for a hefty financial payment, similar to what happened when Chelsea had to pay out Adidas when signing with Nike.
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