The German Football Association (DFB) on Monday said that it would change the typeface used on its shirts after one of the kit numbers drew comparisons to a Nazi symbol.
The No. 4 worn by national team players was said to bear a resemblance to the insignia of the Nazis’ elite SS corps.
“The DFB checks the numbers 0-9 and then submits the numbers 1-26 to UEFA for review,” the DFB said in a statement. “None of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism in the creation process.”
Photo: AFP
Nonetheless, the DFB said that it did not want to “provide a platform for discussion.”
“Together with our partner 11teamsports, we will develop an alternative design for the number four and coordinate it with UEFA,” the DFB said.
Kit provider Adidas removed shirt personalization options for the German strip from its Web site on Monday afternoon, Bild reported.
The name and number personalization features were not available when a journalist visited the Web site on Monday evening.
Shirts with the No. 44 were at the center of the controversy, with the number set said to look most like the SS logo. Deliveries of shirts already ordered with the number had been stopped, Bild reported.
The new typeset was worn in recent friendlies against France and the Netherlands, as Germany prepare to host UEFA Euro 2024 in June and July.
The DFB caused a stir last month when it announced that it would be replacing Adidas as its kit provider from 2027.
The German outfitter, which has supplied the national team since the 1950s, is to make way for US sportswear giant Nike.
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