Mizuno to Enter European Football Kit Market, Sign "Elite Teams" Across Europe
Iconic Japanese brand Mizuno are set to enter the European football kit market.
As spotted by @The_Kitsman, Duncan Thomson, General Manager at Future Performance Sport Ltd, took to LinkenIn a few days ago to announce that his company had closed a licensing agreement with Mizuno.
"Our partnership ambitions are to build on, elevate and accelerate Mizuno's existing presence and strong credibility in the market, by partnering with Elite Football teams across Europe" - Duncan Thomson, General Manager at Future Performance Sport.
Under the agreement, Future Performance Sport have the right to sign up teams and use Mizuno's brand and logo on their kits.
It remains to be seen what exactly will come of this in the coming seasons, but it's always interesting to see a new brand enter the market. If they take inspiration from Mizuno's great existing kit designs it will be a win for all. They might even try to commission the same designers.
Although it might seem a bit odd, these kinds of licensing deals are very common, especially for smaller brands. But even the likes of Puma and Umbro have been using them to great success in smaller markets.
From Thomson's LinkenIn profile as well as the information available online, Future Performance Sport were incorporated just last month and appear to have been set up specifically for the Mizuno partnership. Duncan Thomson has worked for New Balance, Nike and Umbro in the past, bringing plenty of industry experience to this new venture.
Are you happy to see Mizuno enter the European football kit market? Comment below.
