Could Germany Use 2022 World Cup Kits at EURO 2024?
Retailers in Germany are hoping persuade the DFB to use their 2022 kits at EURO 2024 rather than releasing new ones as, a huge amount of stock remains unsold, according to German media.
Could Germany Use World Cup Kits for EURO 2024?
The German Retail Association have branded the 2022 World Cup "a disaster" in terms of merchandise sales. Germany's poor performances and group stage elimination put a big dent in kit sales and retailers are having difficulty selling national team gear, even at heavily discounted prices. Alexander von Preen, head of the German Retail Association has stated that retailers are hoping the DFB can be convinced to keep the current jerseys for the next big international tournament, EURO 2024, which will be played on home soil.
"There is still a lot of unsold merchandise. Even at basement prices, nobody wants to buy the jerseys. It wouldn't make sense to shred the goods en masse. This is also about a sustainable use of resources and setting an example."
If Germany had performed well and there had been higher demand for, and sales of shirts, Von Preen probably wouldn't be mentioning any concerns about reducing waste. Given the reality of the current situation, however, he claims that the sustainability argument makes the strongest case for re-using the jerseys, especially following the German team's moral gestures and statements about human rights in Qatar.
It is standard procedure for international teams to release new kits every two years, coinciding with the staggered four year cycles of major continental tournaments and the World Cup. The tradition of Germany receiving new kits from Adidas every two years stretches all the way back to the late seventies, and on some occasions they got new shirts even more frequently. They did, however, use their most famous kit of all time at both EURO 88 and Italia 90. On that occasion, they lifted the trophy in the shirt's second tournament. Maybe they could repeat the trick in 2024?
Our Verdict: Not Likely
Although the sustainability argument is certainly valid, the German Retail Associations pleas will probably fall on deaf ears. They seem to be using the green angle to suit their own agenda (selling products) rather than out of any serious environmental concern. EURO 2024 is only 18 months away, so Adidas have presumably already invested heavily and progressed quite far in the design stage for their 2024 national team shirts. There is talk of Nike soon switching to a two year club kit cycle for environmental reasons, so the DFB and Adidas may be receptive to the idea on the grounds it would not allow their main competitor to reap all the good publicity. With that said, if Adidas were to decide to prolong the life of their kits, it would surely come from internal decisions rather than being motivated by a request from a retail organisation.
Do you think the DFB and Adidas will agree to re-use the jersey? Let us know in the comments.
