Amid Nazi symbol controversy, Germany to redesign football jersey numbering

German football administration will be redesigning the number “4” on the country’s national jerseys after claims were made that the number bore resemblance to a logo used by Nazi paramilitary units, CNN reported.

On Monday, the German Football Association (DFB) issued a statement in response to social media users utilizing an online customization service to design shirts featuring the number “44,” highlighting its resemblance to the Schutzstaffel (SS) emblem.

As of Tuesday, the option to customize the German team’s jerseys had been removed from Adidas’ websites.

In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, the DFB said it had earlier submitted numbers 1 to 26 to European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, for review, and that “none of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism in the creation process of the jersey design.” The association further added that they take the matter “very seriously” and was developing “an alternative design” for the digit.

According to Reuters, Adidas spokesperson Oliver Bruggen earlier told German media that the company would “block the number 44 as quickly as possible.”

“As a company we actively oppose xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in any form,” Bruggen added.

In late March, the DFB revealed the latest uniforms for both the men’s and women’s teams. The men’s team premiered the jerseys during a match against France and they are scheduled to be worn at the 2024 UEFA European Championship, hosted by Germany this summer.

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