No More Nike: Liverpool FC Signs Multi-Year Kit Sponsorship with Adidas

“Everyone at the club is incredibly excited to welcome [A]didas back into the LFC family,” said Billy Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, in an official press release. “We have enjoyed fantastic success together in the past and created some of the most iconic LFC kits of all time.”

Hogan’s comments aren’t hyperbole.

Adidas has sponsored the Reds on two previous occasions. First, from 1985 to 1996, and then from 2006 to 2012. During the latter period, Liverpool FC won three top-flight domestic league titles and three FA Cup Finals. Additionally, the club put on exciting performances against the best of them, including a 4-0 win over Real Madrid in the 2009 Champions League.

Names like “Steven Gerard,” “Fernando Torres,” and “Xabi Alonso” were also synonymous with the club during the late aughts and early 2010s, making a return to Adidas nostalgic.

A speculative mock-up from Footy Headlines and die-hard Liverpool fan and graphic designer @lfcdzn11 depicts the club’s ‘Strawberry Red’ Home kit in a similar design to what the team wore last decade. While simple, the kit boasts a vibrant red tone that gives the English club its iconic nickname. ‘White’ stripes appear on the sleeves, while the Standard Chartered sponsor lands at the center of the chest, in-between Adidas and L.F.C. logos.