FC Schalke 04 e.V. have come to an agreement with Umbro to become the club’s new kit suppliers from July 2018, thus ending the club’s long-standing partnership with Adidas. The Royal Blues’ kits and equipment will be supplied by the British company, for both the professional teams and all academy teams.
Schalke’s head of marketing, Alexander Jobst, discussed the reasoning behind the switch: “Our decision-making over the last few months has had a focus on three core strategic points: reputation, profitability and identity. Umbro were the clear leaders in all three regards, which has led us to decide against extending our partnership with adidas and instead make the move to Umbro. We would like to express our sincere thanks to adidas for decades of successful co-operation. We are looking forward to beginning our work with Umbro, a traditional company that takes things in new directions and fits us perfectly. Together we share the aim of further strengthening the S04 brand both domestically and internationally.”
Michael Scholz, spokesman for Umbro, said: “FC Schalke 04 and Umbro both carry a great deal of tradition. Schalke has a long history. We therefore share common goals and values. We are delighted and honoured to be part of the next major chapter in Schalke’s history.”
Photo courtesy Umbro
