Ireland End New Balance/Umbro Kit Deal

The Football Association of Ireland today announced that they will have a new kit manufacturer from 2023. They have ended their kit sponsorship with Dublin-based sportswear firm JACC, the distributor of Umbro and New Balance in Ireland.

Ireland had a deal with JACC since 1994. Through the deal with JACC, Ireland wore Umbro kits from 1994 to 2017, then New Balance from 2017 until 2019, before a return to the Umbro kit in 2020.

Ireland to Announce New Kit Supplier

The original deal from Ireland with JACC would have been valid until 2026, meaning that the contract was ended four years ahead of schedule. No reasons why the deal was canceled prematurely have been announced.

However, there has been controversy about the contract. In 2019, it emerged that the FAI have signed a clothing deal with Sports Direct. The FAI received an advance on that deal, which then led to the FAI paying back Sports Direct €100,000 a month on a schedule of payments into 2025.

"The Football Association of Ireland can confirm that it has today terminated its sponsorship agreement with JACC Sports Distributors Limited, in accordance with the terms of the agreement," the FAI said.

"The FAI would like to thank JACC Sports for all its support to the Association over the years and wishes it all the best in the future. The Association respects the confidentiality of the parties and will not be making any further comment on this matter."

There is no info on which brand will become Ireland's new kit maker. We think that Castore appears most likely, while other options are certainly Adidas, Hummel, and, possibly, Nike.

Which brand would you like to make Ireland's kits from 2023? Comment below.