Home   >   Features   >   Champions League draw; Battle of the brands – Part 1

Champions League draw; Battle of the brands – Part 1

By on August 29, 2014

Football shirts are really more than just a shirt. It is a way to connect with a club – pull one on and it connects you to that club as part of something bigger. That is why these shirts are so in demand (Real Madrid have had an average of 1.4 million shirt sales per year from 2007 to 2012 according to ESPN), not just because of their occasionally stylish looks. Nowadays, absorbent sums are being payed to sponsor the shirt with companies’ branding. Tens of millions of dollars a year at the very top. Kit manufacturers will even pay the club to make their shirts. And not just small money, rather, millions do dollars as well. Nowadays shirt sponsorships plays a major role in club revenues, as well as the brands paying the big bucks for the sponsorships.

The Champions League groups stage groups were recently drawn, and even if a brand just sponsors the shirt of one of Europe’s elite 32 teams, that is a major success for both the club and sponsor. Yet some clubs, and sponsors, are used to this. Adidas, for instance, have paid Real Madrid an estimated $414 million for this very exposure of the kits they have and will manufactured over an eight year period. Adidas, one of the major few kit manufactures, also make the kit of Madrid’s fellow Group B member, FC Basel. However, Warrior Sports and Macron make Liverpool and Ludogorets’ kits, respectively.

Down in Group A, Nike makes their mark, though, manufacturing Atletico Madrid’s kit, as well as Juventus’ shirt. Meanwhile, the group’s two underdogs, Olympiacos and Malmo FC, both have their shirts made by Puma. If all goes as expected in Group A and B then Adidas should make the kit of one team qualified from the toe groups, Madrid, while Nike two in Atletico and Juventus. Warrior should also make a rare Second Round appearence. Nike should come out the best. Last season it was a battle between Nike and Adidas in the final, but should Madrid get knocked out then it could easily be an all Nike final this year.

Group A: (team: manufacturer – sponsor(s))
Atletico Madrid: Nike – 2015 European Games in Baku Azerbaijan
Juventus: Nike – Jeep
Olympiakos: Puma – UNICEF
Malmo – Puma – Rorlaggaren

Group B: (team: manufacturer – sponsor(s))
Real Madrid: Adidas – Fly Emirates
FC Basel: Adidas – Novartis
Liverpool: Warrior Sports – Standard Chartered Bank
Ludogorets: macron – Navibulgar and Huvepharma

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.