Resembling Nazi Symbol... German Football Team Halts Sales of 'Number 44' Uniform

Adidas has decided not to sell the German national football team's 'number 44' jersey. This decision came after concerns were raised that the font resembled the emblem of the Nazi military organization Schutzstaffel (SS).

Nazi emblem (left) and Adidas jersey number 44

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On the 1st (local time), Adidas spokesperson Oliver Br?ggen told dpa news agency that they would block custom orders for the number '44' jersey. Adidas has been offering a service that allows customers to personalize jerseys with chosen names and numbers. While names related to the Nazis, such as 'Hitler,' have already been blocked, the number '44' will now be added to the list.

The new German football team jersey, unveiled on the 14th of last month, introduced a bold pink color for the away kit, which received criticism from fans. Amid this, concerns were raised that the number '44' on the jersey, due to its font design, resembled the SS emblem of the Schutzstaffel.

The SS emblem 'Sigrune,' which looks like two angular letter S's, is known to have originated from ancient Germanic runic characters. Along with the Hakenkreuz (swastika), it was a prominent symbol of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers' Party) and is banned from use in Germany.

Nazi SS emblem. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

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However, since national team players only wear numbers up to 23, there will be no instances of players wearing the number 44 jersey. The spokesperson emphasized, "Adidas employs people from about 100 countries and actively campaigns against all forms of hate, including anti-Semitism and violence. The claim that this was our intention is not true."

Meanwhile, Germany will host the UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 2024) this June. Led by coach Julian Nagelsmann, Germany has raised fans' expectations by consecutively defeating France and the Netherlands in friendly matches.

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