Over the last season and a half, Newcastle United have been on a dramatic upward trajectory. The Magpies have become one of the most exciting teams not just in the Premier League, but across Europe following Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) takeover and the appointment of Eddie Howe.
On October 7, 2021, the Saudi PIF completed a successful takeover of the club, buying an 80% stake in the club. They have since signed players such as Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, and Sandro Tonali, with all three being important players for Eddie Howe. The takeover has allowed the club to flex their financial muscle.
Newcastle finished in the top four in the 2022-23 season, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League after twenty years, a gargantuan feat for the club.
Now, German kit manufacturers Adidas are set to supply kits for the Magpies from the 2024-25 season, with the club ending their partnership with current suppliers Castore prematurely. Castore and Newcastle had a contract running till the end of the 2025-26 season.
Newcastle set to join Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich as one of Adidas’ elite clubs
According to a report from The Telegraph, Newcastle decided to end their partnership with Castore after several supporters repeatedly complained about the poor quality of their merchandise. Even after the purchase, there were delays in order delivery, which further led the club to end the agreement.
Adidas partnered with Newcastle during one of their most successful eras in both England and Europe, with Adidas supplying matchday kits and training wear between 1995 and 2010.
The two organisations worked closely throughout Newcastle United’s famous Entertainers era, with Kevin Keegan’s title-challenging side wearing some of the most vaunted and universally-loved kits of the era.
The Magpies also wore the brand’s three stripes during several iconic UEFA Champions League matches, including a famous 3-2 victory over FC Barcelona featuring a Faustino Asprilla hat-trick in 1997, and in each season under the stewardship of the late, great Sir Bobby Robson.
– Newcastle United’s website
According to a report from Footy Headlines, popular for being the first ones to reveal kits of clubs in advance, the Magpies are set to be one of the ‘elite’ clubs being supplied by Adidas.
The report mentions that Newcastle will join popular European clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, as well as fellow Premier League outfits Arsenal and Manchester United, as one of Adidas’ elite clubs. Brazilian side Flamengo are also in the list.
The new Adidas Newcastle United kit deal are making Newcastle United an elite team. This means that the club will receive authentic home and away kits, as part of the Elite Team range.
Newcastle United will join Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Arsenal, Flamengo, and Manchester United as Elite Teams.
– Footy Headlines
The deal with their current kit suppliers Castore is valued at £5 million. Meanwhile, Newcastle will see an eight-fold increase in revenue with the deal with Adidas valued at a staggering £40 million. The contract will run for five years.
Joining a list of elite teams such as Bayern, Real Madrid, Arsenal etc. shows that Newcastle are certainly one of the most exciting teams in Europe at the moment. Their return to the Champions League as well as a brand of football that evokes emotions of thrill means that the club’s trajectory is only meant to go upwards.
What is an ‘Adidas elite club’?
From the next season, Adidas will design authentic kits for Newcastle, which means that they will pour a lot of effort behind making unique designs. Not just that, but Adidas might even run back the clock by manufacturing kits that pay homage to Newcastle’s high-flying teams of the late 90s and early 2000s.
In Adidas’ sponsorship pyramid, teams are divided into five categories – Elite, Premium (or B teams), Standard, Third Party, and No Contract.
The clubs falling in the Elite section get the most special treatment from Adidas in terms of visibility on the market.
The Premium section includes clubs such as Boca Juniors, Lyon, Ajax, Besiktas among a few others. These teams are well-known on a geo-football level. The teams falling with the Premium tag are entitled to sales on the worldwide market.
As for the teams falling under the Standard category, the sale is limited to only the national markets. This category includes PL clubs such as Wolves and Fulham, as well as Bundesliga side Union Berlin.
Third Party category entails teams that are not in direct contact with Adidas but with a third-party that manage contract in the respective countries. Examples include many German teams such as Nuremberg, Dusseldorf, Unterhaching and other teams from minor and semi-professional/amateur leagues.
However, the report also adds that the other teams in the Elite category will enjoy more privileges from Adidas as, for now, Newcastle are on the lowest level of elite alongside Flamengo.
Regardless, the partnership with Adidas will be wholeheartedly welcomed by all Newcastle fans across the globe and will probably serve as a precursor to the return of the club’s glory days.
