Manufacturer Adidas will do its best to block consumers from purchasing the new German national team kit with the number 44 on it after a similarity to Nazi symbolism came to light.
When the new German kits were unveiled along with a slew of others in mid-March, they came with a new font. But it was pointed out after the latest round of international matches that the number 4 in the new font were similar to the S shapes in the rune used by Nazi SS units in the Second World War.
On Monday, April 1, Adidas removed personalization options from German national team kits for sale on its website and a spokesperson said the company would block the personalization of jerseys with the number 44. Spokesperson Oliver Brüggen told the BBC that the similarity to the SS logo was not intentional.
“We as a company are committed to opposing xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in every form,” he said.
Adidas also told the BBC that the numbers were designed by the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (DFB) — the governing body for soccer in Germany — and its partners.
On Twitter, the DFB said (translated to English by Google): “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 development process of the jersey design.
“Nevertheless, we take the information very seriously and do not want to provide a platform for discussions. Together with our partner 11teamsports, we will develop an alternative design for the number 4 and coordinate it with UEFA.”
The SS logo consists of two sig runes, which were interpreted as victory signs by some, side by side like lightning bolts. It was first drawn up in 1933 and soon adopted by all branches of the SS.
The SS, or Schutzstaffel, was a paramilitary organization in Nazi Germany that carried out some of the worst atrocities of the Second World War. According to the BBC: “Members of the SS ranged from Gestapo agents to concentration camp guards. SS duties included administering death camps where millions of Jews and others were put to death.”
