The jerseys worn by teams in Qatar are charged with messages. These distract from any grievances.
Adidas markets many of its World Cup jerseys as sustainable. This also applies to the new Germany jersey, worn here by Nico Schlotterbeck (left) and Armel Bella-Kotchap.
The black bar in the middle is noticeable. He lies bulky over the chest of the German national football team. It features a golden eagle, four stars, the Adidas logo and the player number. Not visible from the front, but also there is the lettering “DieTeam” on the inside of the neck.
In July, the German Football Association (DFB) announced that it would no longer use the slogan. This was not well received in fan circles and was perceived as too aloof and outdated. The fans complained that there was a disparagement of other teams.
Prominent voices in German football were also critical. For example, the managing director of Borussia Dortmund, Hans-Joachim Watzke, or the former international Lothar Matthäus. At the football World Cup in Qatar, “The team” will still be read on the jerseys. The production had anticipated the decision of the DFB.
Another World Cup kit that has caused a media frenzy in recent weeks is the all-black Danes jersey. It is the team’s second World Cup reserve jersey and will therefore rarely be used. The first and second jerseys in red and white are just as monochrome and monotonous. With these unusual designs and the unusual black mourning color, the manufacturer Hummel wants to draw attention to the human rights violations in Qatar.
The focus is on sustainability messages
The slogan “The team” and the Danish jerseys illustrate the power of fashion. Jerseys have long been more than identifying features on the football field. They are charged with messages that are aggressively marketed.
Marketing often explicitly refers to the material of the jerseys. Above all, Adidas focuses on the sustainability of its jerseys. The Adidas website states that many of the jerseys are made from at least 40 percent recycled plastic waste.
Nike adorns itself with the slogan “Move to Zero”, an action that the CO2-To reduce emissions and the waste associated with production to zero. Puma also works with recycled materials.
In recent years, sustainability has increasingly found its way into sports fashion. At the moment, references to recycling and CO are particularly popular2-Reduction. However, other production circumstances such as wages in the production facilities or gender equality are not addressed. The focus on sustainability messages distracts from any shortcomings in production.
“The question of how and when poverty wages will finally be overcome is seldom concrete”
David Hachfeld from the Swiss NGO Public Eye looks at the production conditions of sportswear manufacturers and says: “Adidas, Puma and Nike have recognized for two decades that wages are too low and not a living wage. You have put specific measures in place, for example studies. But the question of how and when poverty wages will finally be overcome is rarely concrete.”
This is explicitly shown in last year’s Puma annual report. The company names three “goals for 2025” in the area of “fair wages”: “Investigations into fair wages in the five largest procurement markets”, “Legal and freely elected workers’ representatives at all core suppliers” and “Securing wage payments by bank transfer for all core suppliers ».
None of this explicitly increases the wage level or promises a livelihood. By avoiding measurable goals, critics also have a smaller target.
In view of the good financial years of many sporting goods companies, this is irritating. According to the current annual report, Puma was able to increase sales by 32 percent to 6.8 billion euros. “It was the best year in the company’s history,” they say.
The path to professional sport remains blocked for many women in Qatar
The major jersey manufacturers also have room for improvement when it comes to gender equality. “In many countries, 70 to 80 percent of women work in production. But if you look at management, there are mainly men there,” says Hachfeld.
At the host city of Qatar – pictured is the Al-Thumama stadium – women are discriminated against by gender equality, contrary to the messages of many football clubs.
Because the DFB jersey in the current design will not only be worn by the men in Qatar, but also by the women at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, a deceptive image of gender equality is conveyed.
The national player Lina Magull even said at the launch of the new DFB jersey: “This jersey symbolizes that we all stand for football, live the same values together and have one goal. We want to be successful and be role models for the many girls and boys who love this sport as much as we do.”
The moral value of gender equality mentioned by Magull is also in stark contrast to the conditions in Qatar, the host city of the World Cup. the rights of women are massively restricted in the emirate; for many activities, women in Qatar still have to obtain the consent of men. In any case, the path to professional sport remains blocked for most women. It seems particularly contradictory that playing football is made more difficult for women.
The Danes’ black jersey mentioned above is the most likely to draw attention to such discrimination. How serious the message from the manufacturer Hummel is, however, can be questioned. After all, according to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Hummel was until recently as a manufacturer for sports clubs in Qatar.
