Adidas close to keep the DFB sponsorship

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After long being the official supplier of the German Football Association (DFB), adidas and the DFB looked to be on the verge of a split.

But now the two sides are coming together, and it looks like the German athletic-wear company will continue supplying the DFB, as it has since 1954.

The two sides, though, had issues over contract language. Adidas believed the current agreement between the two was valid through 2014. The DFB believed it would end in 2011.

That brought in adidas' competitors Nike, which offered EUR 500 million earlier this year for an eight-year sponsorship deal (EUR 62.5 million a-year). According to German media reports, Adidas currently offers EUR 11 million a year.

However, the idea of the US-based Nike taking over the Germany team sent shockwaves throughout the country and analysts predicted that it would not only be a commercial blow to Adidas, but would also bring an end to a long tradition and perhaps dent national pride.

According to the Deutsche Welle, Franz Beckenbauer, was a high-profile supporter of the potential deal with Nike, saying that times had changed and that national concerns figured less than they might have in the past. Beckenbauer also said that the DFB would be "liable to persecution" if Nike's is rejected.

"The delegations of both the DFB and Adidas have already entered into promising talks regarding a settlement," read a joint statement. "A final decision will be made shortly."