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AFP
Published
Dec 16, 2015
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Adidas considering "alternatives" to sponsoring FIFA

By
AFP
Published
Dec 16, 2015

On Wednesday, Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas, suggested for the first time that there is a chance of the sports outfitter cutting its ties with FIFA, which is now enmeshed in a gigantic corruption scandal. The Bavarian group is one of FIFA's main sponsors.

Herbert Hainer in 2012, at the European football championship. - Adidas


"If FIFA will be able to reform itself, and in my opinion it's moving in the right direction, we will continue with our sponsorship," Herbert Hainer, Adidas' CEO, stated to Handelsblatt daily paper. Should this not be the case, "we will think about the alternatives," Hainer added.

The existing contract, between long-standing partners Adidas and the governing body of world football runs until 2030.
While revelations and investigations on instances of large scale corruption within the institution have multiplied, leading several other major sponsors such as Coca Cola and Visa to publicly call for President Sepp Blatter's dismissal, in the last few months Adidas maintained a very calm and conciliatory attitude. This is the first time that Herbert Hainer is allowing a glimpse, no more than a suggestion really, of the possibility of a divorce from FIFA.

In the interview, Herbert Hainer vigorously dismissed the notion of any involvement by Adidas in the scandals enveloping FIFA. "We will not be blamed for the criminal dealings of FIFA's executives," he asserted.

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