Why the adidas three stripes are missing and other Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 08 kits
The first matches at the Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing have been played and as we could notice, some of the national teams have changed their team kits. The nations which are competing in the tournament are: Brazil (Nike), Argentina (adidas), New Zealand (Nike), USA (Nike), Honduras (Joma), The Netherlands (Nike), Serbia (Kappa), Belgium (adidas), Italy (Puma), Ivory Coast (Puma), Nigeria (adidas), Cameroon (Puma), Japan (adidas), Australia (adidas), Korea Republic (Nike), China PR (adidas).
Of all sixteen nations, only Brazil and Korea Republic haven’t changed their kits at all:
Diego in Brazil kit in a match against Belgium
Korean players prior to their match against Cameroon
Total of six teams play in Adidas kits and they all had to remove three white stripes which ran down the sleeves and shorts after Nike, Reebok and Puma demanded that from Adidas. According to the rules of the International Olympic Committee corporate logos are limited to a maximum of 20 square centimeters. Although Adidas claims that the three stripes are only a design element, they had to make changes.
Argentina
before
at the Olympics
Japan
before
at the Olympics
Nigeria
before
at the Olympics
China
before
at the Olympics
The fifth national team which play in Adidas kit is Belgium, but it will be presented separatedly as they used to play in Nike kits before.
The sixth is Australia whose kit have been presented here.
Except Brazil and Korea, who haven’t changed their kits, three more nations play in Nike kits. These are: USA, New Zealand and The Netherlands. Only small changes have been made: USA removed their football federation crest while New Zealand and The Netherlands replaced their football federation crest’s with Olympic patch.
USA
New Zealand
The Netherlands
National teams which play in Puma kits have also replaced their crests with Olympic patch:
Italy
Ivory Coast
Cameroon
There are two more teams which weren’t mentioned and these are Serbia and Honduras. Serbian kit is made by Kappa and will be presented separately. Honduras kit is made by Joma and you can see it here:
I like China’s. All others are pretty boring.
argentina one is nice
Don’t Adidas shirts look better without the stripes.
If the stripes are a “design feature” can all football shirt manufacturers have them then? (I thought not)
Brazil, the best!!
lyk the japan shirt, all the rest look normal and borin
This is weird, daft and very random - a bit like the tournament itself.
The FIFA World Cup and continental tournaments - European Championship, Copa America, Africa Cup Of Nations, Asian Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup & OFC Nations Cup - carry more importance.
D King, you’re spot on. Adidas have just won a multi-million pound case from a company that had the audacity to have two stripes down the side of their shirts - not three mind, two - on the grounds that it infringed their copyright. It’s a bit rich to then say that it’s actually nothing more than a design feature. Can’t believe their brass neck!
Brazil are changing theirs after they wore it in the first game, they arent allowed to have their national football federation’s badge on the kit, not sure why, apparently it could effect their bid for the 2016 olympics
Belguims kit looks like something you see on Wandsworth Common on a sunday morning by a bunch or beer bellied thirtysomethings playing for a team called “The Rose and Crown FC”
Spot on D. King seconded by Gervillian. I consider adidas by favorite brand and I look forward to seeing those 3 stripes the way I look towards my hotel room after a long flight. However, one of the best adidas shirts A.C. Milan’s 92 strips were so because of the lack of stripes on the shoulders. Sometimes, even I need a break from their “design features.”
Argentina look better without the Adidas black stripes on the sleeves.
These rules have to be changed
ive got the argentina shirt