🇩🇪 Puma Ends Sponsorship Deal with Israel’s National Football Team in 2024

Last Updated on July 20, 2024

German sportswear giant, Puma, has announced the conclusion of its sponsorship agreement with Israel’s national football team, effective in 2024. Contrary to speculation, the decision, which has been in the works since last year, is unrelated to recent calls for boycotts against the company amid Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

A spokesperson for Puma clarified that the cessation of the sponsorship was part of the company’s pre-existing plan and not influenced by consumer-led calls for a boycott. The company highlighted that contracts with various football federations, including Serbia and Israel, were set to expire in 2024 and would not be extended.

In response to the termination of the agreement with Israel, the spokesperson affirmed that Puma would soon announce new partnerships with additional national teams. This strategic move aligns with Puma’s overarching vision of a “fewer-bigger-better” approach.

An internal memo from Puma, revealed by the Financial Times, echoed the company’s commitment to evaluating existing partnerships and exploring upcoming opportunities to ensure a robust roster of national teams.

Puma initially entered into a kit supply agreement with the Israel Football Association (IFA) in 2018. Throughout the partnership, Puma faced ongoing calls for boycotts from activists who criticized the IFA’s inclusion of teams located in settlements deemed illegal under international law in the occupied West Bank.

This development occurs amid a broader trend of global companies with ties to Israel encountering heightened scrutiny and calls for boycotts from the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement, particularly during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Rudolf Dassler, Affiliated with the German NSDAP Party

The historical roots of sportswear giant Puma trace back to its founder, Rudolf Dassler, a figure known for his strong association with the German NSDAP Party.

Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, the brains behind the establishment of Puma, was notably aligned with the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). The NSDAP, commonly known as the Nazi Party, held power in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s under the leadership of Adolf Hitler.

Dassler’s involvement with the NSDAP Party has raised past questions about the company’s origins and its founder’s political affiliations. As a staunch supporter of the NSDAP, Dassler’s influence on Puma’s early years inevitably intertwined the brand with the historical context of pre-World War II Germany.

This revelation adds a layer of complexity to the narrative of one of the world’s leading sportswear brands, prompting a closer examination of the connections between Puma’s foundation and the political climate of the time. The historical context surrounding Puma’s origin serves as a reminder of the diverse and often intricate stories behind globally recognized companies.