Players warned over boot deal conflict

Leading footballers have been told they won’t be picked for the national team if they refuse to wear boots manufactured by sponsors Adidas. "There won't be any Germany players with any other boot than Adidas," Coach Jurgen Klinsmann told media. The move once again raised the issue of conflict between players’ individual endorsement deals and team sponsorship. Adidas is a long-standing sponsor of the German national team and, according to research by TNS Sport, the brand most widely associated with football in Germany. A secondary issue is the right of players to choose an essential tool of their trade according to what they believe is best for their own performance. A union representing professional football players (VdV) had written a letter saying there were "problems with individual contracts with manufacturers of sporting goods other than Adidas". Klinsmann added: "If any player believes he has to take legal action so that he can play in his own boot (brand), well he can't sue to play for us."

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