published 2 months ago..... Return of the swoosh! (jonam) The deal is done. Nike and Borussia Dortmund are partners again from 2004 on. What was rumoured during the whole last season became reality three weeks ago. Nike and Borussia signed a contract running from 2004 till 2009 worth 45 Mio. Euro according to reliable German soccer magazine “kicker”. Nike will equip BVB’s teams with complete soccer kits, shoes and balls. Adding to that the, during the third development newly built, corners of the Westfalenstadion will be named “Nike corners”. Why go back to Nike? Three years ago when the first partnership between Nike and Borussia Dortmund, which lasted 10 years, run out, the situation was difficult for the club. Nike and other sports wear companies weren’t willing to pay the money BVB wanted and so Dr Niebaum and Meier had the idea to found an own company….goool.de. A promising project in their eyes it seems that by today the future of goool.de is not that bright. Despite that BVB’s own company sold a huge amount of jerseys during the last three seasons and equips about 2000 teams, most of them in the amateur leagues but also some bigger teams like Dynamo Dresden and Shaktor Donezk, the benefits couldn’t compensate the loss of the Nike money. Adding to that a problem became clear: goool.de is able to provide the German sale shops with its products but for Borussia’s expansion plans, especially in East Asia, they are lacking distribution capacities. Maybe a problem for the young start-up but definitely not for sports wear giant Nike. Why go back to Borussia Dortmund? With the world cup, the biggest sports event of the world, taking stage in Germany in 2006 Nike was looking for a higher presence in the domestic league. They are No.1 in many aspects of sports wear but soccer is still dominated by their big German rival Adidas. As Bayern München is since ever connected to those rivals they were going for the second big name in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund. And as Nike and BVB were already partners for 10 years during the 90’s, it was somekind of likely that these two old friends became partners once again. What will happen to goool.de? The deal allows Borussia Dortmund to promote the products of its own company, goool.de, despite being dressed by Nike. The other teams goool.de equips will still be provided with sports wear and so this business volume won’t get lost. With this contract general manager Michael Meier sees a big financial gain for the club along with a secured future for their own sports equipment company. The only big disadvantage is that goool.de looses its biggest advertising partner. Hopefully the company can manage without BVB. Same quality and same price? There are different opinions about the quality of the jerseys. Some say that the goool.de ones were much better and some vote in favour of the Nike jerseys. What is undoubted is the fact that the actual goool.de jersey costs 49 Euro only. That is compared to Nike and Adidas a good deal as those two have prices between 60 and 70 Euro. What will happen to the jersey distribution abroad? When Borussia Dortmund was riding the total success wave between ’95 and ’97 Nike flooded the markets with BVB stuff; not only in Germany but also around the world. Fans had the possibility to buy at least the current or last season jersey. But when the club was lacking new trophies and when goool.de took over in 2000 it was hard for supporters around the world to get their beloved BVB jerseys, scarfs or other stuff. Some comments from BVB fans around the world: Cris, Ecuador: "...BVB became very popular here in 97-98 and our local sport shops sold a lot of apparel when Nike was pumping out shirts, hats and the jerseys. It is strange to see BVB jerseys often from the 97 and 98 season...I got both mine too, with Moeller and a big 10 on the back. Unfortunately, since they severed the relationship with Nike, there is no more distributors and it's not possible to find he..." Andrew, Austin/Texas/USA: "...When Nike first had us it was not easy to find kits but it could be done. A few soccer mags had them and you could order than at soccer stores. Once goool.de took over it was impossible to find in the states. Your only option was to order off the (sg.com: official) web site or go to the fan shop (sg.com: in Dortmund) and grab a shopping cart..." What will the future look like? This unsatisfying situation will probably change when Nike will get control of the jersey distribution. Another benefit will be that Nike distribution capacities will help Borussia Dortmund to penetrate East Asian markets. China, where BVB has a big supporters club in Shanghai, is the first target of Meier and Dr. Niebaum. The club’s website is already translated into Chinese and maybe someday Sammer and his squad will do an East Asian tour. So let's wait the things to come. On the one hand the club will get lots of fresh money they could use very well and BVB fans abroad will probably get jerseys easier than now, but on the other hand the fans in Germany will have to pay 10 to 20 Euro more than they do now. source: http://www.schwatzgelb.com/artikel.php3?welcher=836 jonam, http://www.schwatzgelb.com
This is how the BVB jersey could look like next season: http://home.arcor.de/michi.ruf/spekulation.gif Actually it is the USMNT jersey just painted blackyellow and with E.ON instead of the jersey number on it. p.s.: and NO...Donovan is not on his way to Dortmund!
We talked to a representative of Nike as today the new shoe Nike Air 90 was presented at BVB. He told us that the new BVB jersey will be very similar to our photomontage.
Finally here is BVB's new Nike jersey. Really small pic....better ones will follow: http://bilder.sportsandbytes.de/bvb/Sonstiges/metzegrau_1084801993.jpg
Hmmm, don't know. As this is Nike's standard design, I guess there will be a circle around the number.
Now don't get me wrong, I like the Nike money. Corners, and all. But I hate their new Total 90 design. HATE. I like the old Nike BVB jersey better then this crap.
IMO the frontside of the new jersey is ok. Nothing special but ok. If the back has this circle that would be crap. Lord only knows why there must a circle around the number?!?
I dunno. I actually think Gooalll did a better job. But uh, I dunno. I sure as hell won't wear it next time I'm in the Westfalen.
A glimpse at BVB's new Nike wear. Still no match jerseys. http://mediaschwatzgelbde.sportsandbytes.de/fotos04-05/sonstiges/trainingsauftakt/index_img/team2004_2005.JPG
Here are the new BVB jerseys: http://bilder.sportsandbytes.de/bvb/Diashow/IMG_kl_1088609755.jpg http://bilder.sportsandbytes.de/bvb/Diashow/IMG_kl_1088609770.jpg The star above the crest means that BVB has won 3 or more Bundesliga titels (not German championship titles in whole...the would be 6). Those teams that have 5 or more Bundesliga titles are allowed to have 2 stars (Bor. Mönchengladbach) and those with 10 or more can have 3 stars (Bayern München) There are no circles like on Nike's NT jersey!
Jonam or anyone else. . .please tell me there is somewhere I can get one of those black warmup tops they're all wearing in the team training photograph. Van Marwijk has one on too. Also. . .I could be way off, but the best place I've found online thus far for American Borussen is here: http://www.soccerplus.net/german04list.htm (unfortunately I chose #8 last year)
I'm getting the jersey, and if jonam can be so kind as to tell me where a person can find those warm-up jackets...........
3 of their 6 titles were before Bundesliga (which started in 1963). 1956, 1957, 1963, 1995, 1996, 2002 Gladbach won all of their 5 titels during the 70's and Bayern all but one in Bundesliga (the first one in 1932). Counterpart is Schlacke who won all their 7 titles before Bundesliga (6 of them during "Dritte Reich"). http://www.dfb.de/bliga/statistik/m_meister/e_right.php
Is a good website but at the moment they offer last season's jerseys only. The Nike stuff is even from 2000 or earlier (I wonder whether they really have that stuff anymore?!?) Regarding the new collection. Even in Germany the stuff isn't available yet. Should be in the stores from next week on, I guess/hope. Surely Nike will provide some US (online and offline) stores. But I think it will be a tough task to get warm-up tops and trousers. If I find an US source I'll let you guys know!
Just checked the Nike-website. -> http://www.nike.com -> North America -> USA -> nikesoccer.com -> English (USA) -> Showcase -> Club Team kits -> Dortmund They have something like a store-locator (incl. phone numbers). So you could check for the nearest Nike-store, call them and ask whether they already have BVB collection or when they're expecting the stuff.