PUMA cancels sponsorship with the Israeli Football Federation

It's official: 2024 will mark the end of the contractual agreement between PUMA and the IFA, the Israeli Football Association. Regarding the situation, the German supplier has clarified - through an official statement - that the decision had been made some time ago and has no connection with the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Palestine. According to TIME, the decision to terminate the agreement dates back to 2022, following PUMA's new business strategy called fewer-bigger-better. The name fewer-bigger-better is not accidental and suggests that PUMA will have to replace the vacancy left by the Israeli National Team with another team, adding to the end of the German brand's partnership with both the Serbian and Italian National Teams. Significant changes for PUMA are therefore expected to unfold between late 2023 and early 2024.

According to the Financial Times, one of the reasons that prompted PUMA to terminate the contract with the IFA is that the kits of the Israeli National Team do not enjoy great appeal in the market. The official announcement of the end of the partnership between the two parties coincides perfectly with the increase in protests by activists who have recently targeted various PUMA stores. They have long argued that the German brand could somehow support Israel in the conflict. The boycott against PUMA began in 2018, the year PUMA and the Israeli football team signed their partnership. The reason? Some activists have always claimed that the Israeli football federation includes clubs based in areas of the so-called West Bank, which are illegal according to international law.