The German sports equipment manufacturer specifies that this decision dates back to the end of 2022, well before the attack launched by Hamas on October 7.
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Sports equipment manufacturer Puma will no longer dress the Israeli national football team. This decision was taken at the end of 2022, before the war between Israel and Hamas, the brand said. The company justifies this decision by a new group strategy targeting fewer and better publicized partnerships. According to this approach, contracts with certain federations “like Israel” but also “Serbia will expire in 2024”declared Tuesday, December 12, a spokesperson for the company to AFP.
These decisions were made “in accordance with the usual deadlines for the design and development of team jerseys”, she added. Under the leadership of a new boss, Arne Freundt, who arrived at the end of 2022, Puma is reviewing its partnerships with national football teams, taking into account parameters such as jersey sales and participation in major international tournaments. Israel has not qualified for the World Cup since the 1970 edition in Mexico.
Puma has signed new contracts to supply jerseys “two national teams”, which will be the subject of a communication later in December and in 2024, according to its spokesperson. Furthermore, the German equipment manufacturer is one of the companies targeted for several years by the movement calling for a boycott of Israel, in order to obtain an end to the occupation and colonization of the Palestinian Territories.
