Herbert Hainer, adidas Group CEO commented on the partnership: “We are excited to team up with Manchester United, one of the most successful and most loved football clubs globally. Our new partnership with Manchester United clearly underlines our leadership in football and will help us to further strengthen our position in key markets around the world. At the same time, this collaboration marks a milestone for us when it comes to merchandising potential. We expect total sales to reach 1.5 billion GBP during the duration of our partnership.”

adidas will replace US based Nike, whose contract with the English football team is in its last running year. According to the local press the existing contract between Nike and Manchester United reached 368 million euros, and adidas allegedly topped that up by offering new terms which Nike didn’t want to dispute.

As part of the agreement, adidas will supply products to Manchester United and outfit all of the club’s teams. In addition, the giant Gemany based company will have the exclusive right to distribute dual-branded merchandising products worldwide.

The iconic sports team from North of England is one of the most popular and successful in the world. Manchester United, which won dozens of trophies through its century old history, will join other adidas football partners, such as top clubs Real Madrid, FC Bayern Munich, Chelsea FC, AC Milan, Flamengo and Juventus.

adidas takes position as a global leader in football by being the Official Partner of some of the most important football tournaments in the world, such as the FIFA World Cup™, the FIFA Confederations Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA European Championships, and as the official outfitter of the two teams disputing the final match at the recent FIFA World Cup.

The adidas group has a broad portfolio of footwear, apparel and hardware for sports and lifestyle and owns core brands adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade e Rockport. The company’s headquarters are in Germany, and in 2013 the group employed more than 50 700 people worldwide. Last year, adidas generated net income of 787 million euros, a 49.3% growth from previous year, despite a 2.6% deterioration on net sales (from 14 883 million euros in 2012 to 14 492 million euros in 2013).