The world-famous football club–Barcelona may end its years-long partnership with the American kits sponsor Nike. People can expect a new Barcelona jersey to come up in the spotlight. The 25 years of partnership is on the verge of deteriorating, and rumors are as it may be because Puma made an even greater offer.
Back in 2016, FC Barcelona signed a contract with Nike. The contract was supposed to last till 2028, but Catalonians do not look satisfied. A report by SPORT even suggests that the Catalonian group launch their in-house brand. However, the inside report and declaration are vague, as neither group has made an official statement of violating the partnership.
The news is all over the internet, and in this blog, we will highlight everything you must know about it.
FC Barcelona’s Greatest Bummer With Nike
The Catalonia football group has been in a partnership agreement with Nike since 1998. Their more than 25 years of affiliation are on the verge of breaking because of various dissatisfactory reasons, as shared by FC Barcelona.
Both groups have managed to renew and stabilize their partnership through the years with new bonds and agreements. Their latest contract was from 2016 to 2028.
However, due to the high level of complaints from players, quality, and bothersome processes involved in the partnership, Barcelona has decided to put an end to their agreement and launch a new Barcelona jersey.
The report shared by SPORT declares that March is expected to be the decisive month in terms of the outcome of the dissent. Barcelona clearly says that if Nike agrees to meet Barcelona’s demands, the partnership will continue until 2028, when the current contract between the two expires.
PUMA’s Deal For FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona and Nike have a deep-rooted connection that has remained throughout history. They have been in agreement since 1998, which makes their bond more than a partnership.
However, rumors were that the Catalonian group may end the partnership due to the offer made by Puma.
For a long time, Barca president Joan Laporta has had doubts about the club’s deal with Nike. He has reportedly explored new merchandising partners for the FC Barcelona club.
Puma has made an offer on the table to pay €100 million (£86m/$108m) annually. This is slightly more than the profit of approximately 85 million euros they currently earn from Nike annually.
However, despite this offer, the president is considering switching to an in-house manufacturer for the new Barcelona jersey.
Transfer News Live, while sourcing SPORTS on X (previously Twitter), has shared the news that FC Barcelona may manufacture its own jersey and keep the whole profit to itself. Given that, this is what the tweet sounds like:-
🚨 Barcelona are about to make a historic decision — The club is set to terminate its contract with Nike and create Barça’s OWN brand to manufacture the jerseys. This will mean that the club will be sponsor itself and keep 100% of the profits.
What Happened Between Nike and Barcelona: A Condemnation
The years-long partnership is coming to an end, and March is the last month to declare the final and decisive decision between the two giants.
The dissatisfaction of the Catalonian group has lasted long enough to break all the ties once and for all with the American kit producer–Nike this season. The club is soon determined to launch a new Barcelona jersey, which can result in more profit than its partnership with Nike.
Given that, here is what the disapproval of Barca was about:-
- Dissatisfaction of Players: A lot of players from the club have complained about the quality of Nike’s jerseys. This has raised concerns for the Barca president to look after the product and the bothersome processes that involve the import from the American giant. The Barca president thinks of manufacturing a new Barcelona jersey that is more favorable for the players.
- Financial reasons: Maybe the giant American manufacturing company is not as seamless as it may seem over the Internet. Barca’s president has reportedly complained that Nike’s payments are lower than offers from other companies like Puma or New Balance. The new Barcelona jersey can benefit the club by raising its financial status. Furthermore, Nike also limits Barcelona from selling technical products outside Spain through e-commerce.
- Jersey supply: For big football clubs such as FC Barcelona, a stagnant jersey supply is a must. However, Nike was not able to fulfill their requirements, which raised concerns among the players. As a result, the Barca president wants to manufacture their own Barcelona jersey.
- Bonus-malus clauses: A bonus-malus clause is a system used in executive compensation. In this scheme, annual bonuses are held in a bond. These are not fixed and are used in case of losses in future years. Bonus Malus means any delayed bonus Nike’s “bonus-malus” clauses were penalizing the club’s revenue, which the Barca president strongly opposed.
What Next?
Neither of the groups has announced the final decision. They may probably stretch this to the end of March 2024 to come to a conclusion. However, recent rumors and the club’s attitude strongly suggest that the “Deal Breaker” is on, and we may see a new Barcelona jersey.
In a recent interview, the Barca Club president Joan Laporta on the Catalan radio station RAC1 announced that they are looking forward to building their own Barcelona jersey.
People gave this a lot of attention. He further said that Barcelona is planning to launch its own brand for the upcoming season. The club’s previous debates with Nike have shown a lack of bias of the American company to come to terms with Barcelona.
The club strongly believes that creating a new Barcelona jersey will help them move ahead of Nike and create brand awareness for the club itself.
The Catalan group has already started reaching out to big manufacturers across the world to help them with the in-house production of new Barcelona jerseys. The club itself will cover all the expenses from production, distribution, design, and manufacturing.
Moreover, the company will acquire 100% of all profits and revenue generated by the sales of Barcelona jerseys. The move will turn the traditional functioning of the club upside down, but it also strongly promises to change the entire financial landscape of Barcelona.
At Last
The long-shared agreement between FC Barcelona and Nike is on the verge of deterioration due to the club’s disapproval of Nike’s functioning. The Catalan giant strongly opposes the industrial partnership between both groups.
Recent news and rumors suggest that the Barca president will launch a new Barcelona jersey. This will benefit the club in multiple ways. However, neither group has given the final statement. People can expect them to reach a conclusion by the end of March 2024.
Also read: Abu Dhabi T20 Counties Super Cup 2024 Schedule And Live Streaming
