European Championship 2024
Pretty in pink? DFB-Elf plays a group match in the much-discussed away jersey
Germany’s Maximilian Mittelstädt after his goal for the 1:1 against the Netherlands in the pink away jersey
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
The pink European Championship away jersey of the German national football team has caused some discussion. Nevertheless, it has become a best-seller. The jersey will be used in the European Championship match against Hungary.
This article first appeared on ntv.de
The German national football team is already playing in the preliminary round of the European Championship at home in the pink The German Football Association (DFB) confirmed on request from ntv.de that this will happen in the second match against Hungary. In the opening match on Friday (9 p.m./ZDF, MagentaTV and in the ntv.de live ticker) The white home kit will be used against Scotland, and five days later against Hungary the hosts will wear pink. There will be another change in the group final against Switzerland (23 June). Initially there was a report that the DFB team would play all three games in the white home kit, but the corresponding graphic was a preliminary version and incorrect.
Away jersey causes shitstorm before the European Championship
After its presentation, the pink jersey caused a lot of discussion: it was said at the time that such a color was unmanly. Anticipating the outcry, the DFB and supplier Adidas had prepared a marketing campaign – and made fun of themselves. In a video, the question was asked: “Is that a women’s jersey?” before national player Jule Brand, wearing the away jersey, replied: “I don’t know, it doesn’t look like eight European Championship titles to me.” The women’s team has eight European Championship titles, compared to three for the men’s national team.
The pink away jersey is not only popular because of the marketing campaign. It is now omnipresent at international matches and public training sessions. Last week it was even temporarily sold out. According to supplier Adidas, the shirt had the best sales start of a German away jersey to date. The home jersey was also “very popular,” it was said at the time. However, there were no exact figures. For Adidas, this is the last European Championship as supplier of the DFB team.
“This is friendly Germany in pink jerseys”
Unsurprisingly, it has no impact on the sporting outcome which jersey the DFB team has worn recently. The team of national coach Julian Nagelsmann is unbeaten in four international matches. The away jersey even performs slightly better: Toni Kroos and Co. won both matches in the pink jersey – 2-1 against Greece and the Netherlands. Dressed in white, on the other hand, they won 2-0 against France and drew 0-0 against Ukraine.
Shortly before the start of the European Championships at home, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck praised the DFB team. Nagelsmann’s team is “a figurehead for the republic that we want to love,” the Green politician told “Kicker”. “They play for Germany, and that is the friendly Germany in pink jerseys. What more could we want? That’s how it should be.” The players, the DFB and also the officials of German sport are “clearly showing their stance”. “That is worthy of all honor.”
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However, Habeck was concerned about the racism that a WDR survey revealed last week. “How must someone feel who gives everything for their country and is still told that they don’t belong here because they have the wrong skin color? That’s called racism, and far too many people experience it in their everyday lives,” he said in the interview. The results were “damn bitter.” In a representative survey, according to the WDR, one in five people said they would prefer it if there were more white players in the German national team. The results sparked a major debate.