Fans banned from buying Germany home shirt because of nazzi symbol

Adidas has implemented a ban on football fans customizing German football kits with the number 44, due to its resemblance to symbols associated with World War Two-era Nazi SS units, following media scrutiny.

“We will block personalization of the jerseys,” stated an Adidas spokesperson.

The controversial kits, featuring the number 44, have sparked outcry over its inadvertent similarity to the symbols used by the Nazi SS units, infamous for their role in atrocities during the Holocaust.

Historian Michael König was among the first to raise concerns, deeming the design “very questionable.”

Adidas has banned fans from getting the number 44 on the back of its new Germany kit. Reason being is that the font makes the numbers look like the white supremacist/neo-Nazi SS lightning bolts symbol. pic.twitter.com/TYXpw5sMWC

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The SS rune, adopted by Nazi units in 1929, was associated with heinous crimes against humanity, including administering death camps where millions were killed.

Adidas spokesperson Oliver Brüggen denied any intentional resemblance to Nazi symbols, reaffirming the company’s stance against xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and hatred.

The German Football Association (DFB) stated that the kit designs underwent UEFA review during development, with no associations to Nazi symbolism detected. However, they pledged to create an alternative design for the number four.