Spain’s national football federation has announced plans to terminate its contract with adidas, its kit supplier since 1992.
The Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) renewed its kit deal with adidas in 2015, but the federation – which came under new leadership in 2018 – now claims that the existing contract is unacceptable.
In a statement posted on its website, the RFEF said: “The contract with adidas is valid until 2026. The conditions that were agreed upon when it was signed years ago do not meet the criteria of legality, transparency and fairness that the RFEF considers minimally acceptable.”
The statement goes on to say that the RFEF will continue to comply with its adidas contract until a new kit supplier can take over, but adds that rival brands are now welcome to pitch for the kit-supply rights.
adidas released an official statement in response, saying: “The contract has been carried out by both parties in a friendly manner and there is no justification for the RFEF’s decision.
“adidas intends to uphold its agreement until the end of the agreed term, and, if necessary, will take measures to defend its rights.”
The fallout with adidas is the latest in a series of tumultuous events at the federation since the election of president Luis Rubiales in May 2018.
In one of Rubiales’s earliest controversies, he publicly attacked RFEF interim president Juan Luis Larrea for “wasting” €2m on “super-vacations” and “luxury hotels” for RFEF partners travelling to the World Cup in Russia.
Two weeks later, Heineken’s Spanish brand Cruzcampo terminated its 10-year partnership with the RFEF, citing Rubiales’s “aggressive attitude” and his “smears” against partners during the World Cup.
Two days before the tournament was set to kick-off, Rubiales also sacked Julien Lotepegui as national-team head coach after finding out Lotepegui planned to leave for Real Madrid at the end of the World Cup.