The situation of technical sponsors in Serie A and the rest of Europe
The picture of technical sponsors for the 2023/24 Serie A season has now been outlined, with some variations compared to the past season. It is a fairly diverse division that attests to the high competitiveness of an industry currently experiencing its peak period of activity.
There will be 12 brands “playing” in the Italian top league in the just-started season. The most prominent ones, with three teams each, are the Spanish brand Joma Sport (Atalanta, Torino, and Hellas Verona) and the Italian brand Kappa (Fiorentina, Empoli, and Genoa). The top clubs are also evenly distributed: Inter maintains its historic partnership with Nike, while Milan and Juventus have confirmed their affiliations with Puma and adidas, respectively.
However, the two German brands will also have a presence in Serie A. In addition to AC Milan, Puma will outfit Sassuolo. Adidas, on the other hand, struck a deal with AS Roma in the summer, marking the return of the three stripes to the Giallorossi jersey after almost thirty years. The Adidas-Roma deal was one of the marketing highlights of the summer of 2023, with only three Serie A teams changing their technical partners. Besides Roma, Hellas Verona has switched from Macron to Joma Sport, and newly-promoted Genoa has terminated its contract with Castore to return to Kappa.
The situations related to Napoli, the reigning champions of Italy, and Lecce are quite unique. Napoli will continue to wear EA7 Emporio Armani-branded technical gear. The agreement between De Laurentiis and Giorgio Armani involves the fashion company taking care of the design and creativity of Di Lorenzo and his teammates’ kits and uniforms. Production, however, remains the responsibility of the Naples-based company.
Lecce, on the other hand, has been wearing M908 for years, the first Italian homemade technical sponsor. Since 2018, after parting ways with Legea, the club’s management decided to establish a company that produces all clothing items for all the Giallorossi teams. The initiative began when Lecce was in Serie B, but promotion to the top flight did not change the project, and the bond between the Salento club and M908 remained strong.
Among the most interesting partnerships is the one between Cagliari and Eye Sport. The most popular club in Sardinia, as one would expect, will return to Serie A after a season in Serie B, wearing jerseys produced by a Sardinian technical partner.
For the first time in its history, Zeus Sport will simultaneously outfit two top-flight teams. In addition to Salernitana, Frosinone, the winner of the 2022/24 Serie B, joins the ranks. Macron, with the departure of Sampdoria, who were relegated, and Hellas Verona, will be dressing Udinese and Bologna. This is one of the longest-standing technical partnerships in Italian football, alongside Nike-Inter.
Finally, only one club each for Lotto, which has renewed with Monza until 2026, and Mizuno, which remains firmly associated with Lazio.
ABROAD
Nike and adidas are, of course, the most widespread brands among the top five leagues in Europe, followed by Puma. These three brands collectively outfit 41 out of 96 teams, representing a percentage of 42%.
Adidas, with 15 sponsored teams, is the most prominent company. The three stripes will adorn the jerseys of four clubs in the Premier League and La Liga, three in Ligue 1, two in the Bundesliga, in addition to Roma and Juventus.
Just below is Nike, which, in addition to Inter, will provide jerseys for four teams in the Premier League, Bundesliga, three in Spain, and two in France. In total, considering the top five leagues on the continent, 14 teams will take the field with the swoosh on their chest.
In third place is Puma: Sassuolo and Milan in Serie A, Manchester City in the Premier League, and a trio of teams in Spain, Germany, and France, totaling 12 teams. Behind these giants, we find Umbro (7 sponsored teams, including 5 in the Premier League), Castore (6), Joma (5), as well as the Italian brands Kappa and Macron, both with 5 teams each.
In general, across the top five European leagues, there are 22 supplier companies: Nike, Puma, Castore, Adidas, Macron, Hummel, Kappa, Zeus, Umbro, Joma, Errea, Lotto, EYE Sport, EA7 Emporio Armani, M908, Mizuno, Uhlsport, Le Coq Sportif, New Balance, Craft, and Jako.
