Berlin: The German Football Association (DFB) and sportswear giant Adidas have ceased the sale of German national jerseys featuring the number ‘4’ following an online uproar. Concerns were raised over the number ’44’, as the dual ‘4’ configuration bears a striking resemblance to the Nazi ‘SS’ symbol.
The controversy gained momentum as individuals began customizing the German soccer jersey online with the number ‘4’, inadvertently mirroring the insignia of the Nazi Party’s notorious Schutzstaffel or SS, a paramilitary organization under Hitler’s Third Reich.
“Another neo-Nazi fashion trend: wearing the number “44” on a German national football jersey because it resembles the Nazi “SS” insignia,” highlighted France-based journalist Mather Fraser on X.
Adidas, the manufacturer of the jerseys, suspended the option for jersey customization with names and numbers on Monday. Concurrently, the DFB halted the distribution of jerseys bearing the number 44 through its online platform.
In response to the controversy, the federation is collaborating with its partner, 11teamsports, to devise an alternative design for the number ‘4’.
“None of the parties involved perceived any association with Nazi symbolism during the jersey design development process,” clarified the federation on X.
The Schutzstaffel, commonly referred to as the SS, was extensively utilized by the Nazis in various capacities, including as police units, combat forces, and in the administration of concentration camps where mass exterminations were carried out during World War II.
Under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler, the infamous Waffen-SS was responsible for the mass killings of millions of Jews, Roma, and other persecuted groups across Europe, marking a dark chapter in history known as the Holocaust.
Given the historical significance and the atrocities associated with the Nazi-stylized ‘SS’, its depiction is prohibited in Germany.
According to Adidas spokesperson Oliver Bruggen, both the German Football Association and 11teamsports were responsible for the design of the names and numbers featured on the jerseys.
“Adidas comprises employees from approximately 100 countries. Our company is a staunch advocate for diversity and inclusion, actively campaigning against xenophobia, antisemitism, violence, and all forms of hatred,” stated Bruggen.
“Any efforts to propagate divisive or exclusionary ideologies are inconsistent with our brand values,” Bruggen emphasized.
