DFB signed with adidas through 2018

The German Football Federation (DFB) will stick with longtime sponsor adidas, spurning a EUR 500 million offer to switch to Nike.

The move was opposed by the Bundesliga, with three of the league's representatives voting against the adidas deal. But the DFB decided to stay with adidas, whose offer supposedly was half of Nike's.

The two sides signed through 2018, extending their 50-year relationship.

"We have serious second thoughts about both the length of time and the content of the contract," Bundesliga president Reinhard Rauball said. "It's impossible to approve this deal because we represent the 36 professional clubs."

The Bundesliga likely will receive EUR 50 million less in the adidas deal then it would if the contract had gone to Nike.

Adidas will pay EUR 20 million a year through 2014, then bump it to EUR 25 million a year for the final four years of the contract.

The DFB and adidas disagreed on he length of the current contract, with the DFB claiming it stopped in 2011, and adidas saying it was through in 2014.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.