German soccer fans have been banned from customizing their jerseys with the number 44 due to its resemblance to the lightning bolts symbol used by Nazi SS units. Adidas, the manufacturer of the uniforms, has blocked the personalization option on its online store. The company denies any intention to resemble the symbol associated with the Schutzstaffel group and states that promoting divisive or exclusionary views goes against its brand values.
A sports jersey is one way for fans to show national pride — but German soccer fans have been banned from customizing theirs with the number 44 because of a resemblance to the lightning bolts symbol used by Nazi SS units. Adidas , which makes the uniforms, said it has blocked the personalization from its online store .
A spokesperson for the company told NBC News that it strongly rejected any suggestion that it had intended for the design to resemble the symbol used by the Schutzstaffel group, a paramilitary organization of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich that ran concentration camps during the Holocaust. “Any attempts to promote divisive or exclusionary views are not part of our values as a brand,” they said. German soccer officials and their partner 11teamsports were responsible for the design of the names and numbers, the spokesperson added. The move to ban the number came after people started pointing out the resemblance onlin
German Soccer Fans Jerseys Customization Number 44 Nazi SS Symbol Adidas Online Store Schutzstaffel Brand Values
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