The Barça-Puma Encounter Amidst Nike Crisis
By Shree Desai
Amidst the crisis with kit sponsor Nike, FC Barcelona held talks with German apparel giants Puma this Thursday. According to journalist Gerrad Romero, the conclave was regarding Barça's next kit sponsor.
Currently, the Blaugranes have a deal in place with American apparel giants, Nike. Their relationship began in 1998 and the parties extended it in 2016, which is reportedly worth €140 million per year. The contract runs till 2028 and the termination clause is worth €350 million.
If the Catalan giants were to terminate the contract, they would likely need to pay reparations worth
€350 million to Nike. The termination clause goes something like this: If Barcelona were to terminate the contract with immediate effect, Nike believes they would incur a loss of approximately €350 million. Consequently, the Catalans would be responsible for bearing this compensation.
No one knows how Barça will go about with Nike as they plan on changing sponsors from the 2025-26 season. This is because the 2024-25 season kits have already been approved and manufactured.
The cheapest way to exit the relationship is with a mutual termination, but Nike won't be keen on the prospect. The Spanish club wants to depart the relationship as it has better options that offer the club better financial remuneration.
Who can be the next Kit Sponsor of FC Barcelona?
The Nike crisis is Barcelona's problem, and no one has yet wrapped their heads around it as to how the club will come out without a huge financial scar. Anyway, the Spanish club has a few options on the table namely, Puma, Hummel, Cougar and BLM.
Barça is already in talks with Puma, but many reports claim that Hummel and Cougar are also in the race to have a place on the prestigious kits of FC Barcelona. The last option is Barça Licensing and Merchandising (BLM) wherein the club will manufacture its own T-shirts.
BLM might offer the highest financial return, but Barcelona hasn't tried it because of logistical issues. German giants Nike has offered Barça €200 million per season, which outweighs Nike's offer by a landslide. The offer is very tempting as the Catalan Giants try to bounce back from their version of the dark ages.