Germany will implement a change on their No. 4 kit design, as the number ’44’ resembled the symbol used by Nazi ‘SS units.
The new kit first appeared during their 2-0 friendly win over France last month. The jersey will be featured in the upcoming UEFA EURO 2024 hosted by Germany.
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Germany to change supposed Nazi symbolism on kits
The German Football Association (DFB) said on Monday that it will withdraw its number 44 jersey.
“The DFB checks the numbers 0-9 and then submits the numbers 1-26 to UEFA for review. None of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism in the creation process of the jersey design,” the DFB said in a statement on X.
“Nevertheless, we take the comments very seriously and do not want to provide a platform for discussions. We will develop an alternative design for the number 4 and coordinate it with UEFA.”
The said design of number 44 resembled the stylized SS used by the Nazi Party’s Schutzstaffel group.
Commonly known as the SS, the group ran the concentration camps that carried out the mass killings of civilians during World War II.
Today, the stylized SS symbol is banned in Germany.
Nonetheless, DFB’s official supplier, Adidas, said that they would remove the number 44.
Adidas spokesperson Oliver Brüggen said the brand “strongly rejects any suggestions that this was our intention.”
“People from around 100 countries work at Adidas. Our company stands for the promotion of diversity and inclusion, and as a company we actively campaign against xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in all forms,” Brüggen said. “Any attempts to promote divisive or exclusionary views are not part of our values as a brand.”
